Improving access to prosthetic care around the world: Victoria Hand Project relies on support from TriMech and SOLIDWORKS

For an amputee in need, especially in a region facing poverty or war, getting a prosthetic arm is life changing. This gift of independence can mean better quality of life, whether performing daily tasks, going to school, or making a living.

Born in a research lab at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, Victoria Hand Project provides prosthetic arms to amputees who have limited or no access to prosthetic care. Through partnerships with healthcare providers around the world, the project team provides training and resources to community clinics so they can serve more people in less time.

Local 3D printing and fabrication centres produce the prosthetic arms directly where they’re needed. The flexibility of additive manufacturing technology allows broken parts or outgrown limb sockets to be reprinted and replaced quickly.

Since 2014, the project has trained more than 50 clinicians and fitted nearly 400 beneficiaries in 11 countries.

Balancing creativity and affordability

Victoria Hand Project offers a variety of prosthetic arms, each tailored to fit different people’s needs. Design choices have to balance imaginative ideas for functionality with keeping costs low. There are no electronics in the designs – the hands are body-powered to keep them accessible. Despite these constraints, the hands do far more than open and close, and include these features:

• Rotatable thumb, to allow for different pinches and grasps
• Backlock mechanism, for a constant grip
• Rotatable wrist, to rotate the hand up to 360 degrees
• Adaptive grasp, to allow the fingers to conform one-by-one around oddly shaped objects

A history of relying on SOLIDWORKS

Chief Executive Officer Michael Peirone has been involved with the project since its early days, when he was an undergraduate student. That’s also when he began using SOLIDWORKS.

Having SOLIDWORKS and access to 3D-printed prototypes allowed for quick progress when design iterations were happening daily.

“Using an advanced CAD tool like SOLIDWORKS, being able to design to tight specifications, leads to better outcomes. If we were using a less refined tool, we wouldn’t be able to meet our standards for accuracy in the hand and fingers.”

SOLIDWORKS also allows Michael and his team to evaluate how different components fit together, and to see the motion of the hand.

“We can see, for example, how the index finger and thumb will connect before we print it. That saves time, resources, and material.”

Canadian designs are sent around the world

In Victoria, the main hand designs, including internal components like the harnessing for the cable, are created, tested, and validated using SOLIDWORKS.

The Canadian team sends the print files – complete with G-code to guide the 3D printing process – to the international partner. Even someone without an engineering background can easily program the printer in their clinic.

The customized parts that attach the prosthetic hand to the person are designed and printed locally. Each person is scanned using photogrammetry or a laser scanner, ensuring a fit to match their unique body.

Ongoing innovation

Victoria Hand Project engineers continue to refine their designs, using feedback from beneficiaries and care providers.

“We look at the base design and find ways to make it better,” Michael explained. “To give you an example, we’ve made the fingers stronger through benchtop testing. We load the fingers with weight and see where they break. Many engineering hours go into changing tolerances by something like half a millimeter, just so the hand assembles better or functions better.”

In one major development, the project team began offering a solution for people missing their arm between their elbow and shoulder. Michael noted that traditional above-the-elbow prosthetic technology is difficult to make and expensive, so this is an accessible alternative.

“Demand for this type of fitting is growing. In Ukraine, 80% of the people who have been fit with our prosthetic arms are missing their arm from above the elbow. This shows how important it is for us to keep evolving.”

Another design release added rotation in the elbow, so people can move the arm horizontally inward and outward, not just up and down.

“This makes it easier to eat and drink or carry a bag. We worked on the design for a few months behind the scenes, then got it out to people who asked for it. It’s nice to know that all that work you put into the design is truly helping someone.”

Software support makes a difference

Javelin, part of the TriMech Group, supplies and supports SOLIDWORKS across Canada. Michael said the assistance they receive from Javelin and SOLIDWORKS has helped them become recognized as a leader in prosthetic hand technology, with designs deployed around the world.

“Maybe we would have made it here at some point, but it would have taken a lot longer with a slower design and testing process.”

A bright future with a committed team

The project team is flooded with requests from people who want to work with them. Donations help them continue to build resources and expand their network.

“We see the potential in Africa, the Middle East, India, South America…” Michael said. “Being a small team, we always have to look at where we can work most effectively and make the most impact.”

Solid engineering remains at the centre of the operation; at the same time, everyone on the small team wears different hats, including outreach and marketing, and supporting partners around the world.

“We couldn’t do this without our team. They just work so hard and they’re so knowledgeable. And everyone sees the direct impact we have on people’s lives.”

Victoria Hand Project is online at victoriahandproject.com

To find out more about how research projects, startups, and charitable organizations can receive support from Javelin and SOLIDWORKS, email solidworks-startups@trimech.com or click here to learn more.