New process shows promise for personalised prosthetics

Traditionally, the creation of a lower limb socket has been a time-consuming process that takes around three-to-six weeks.

The method involves taking a cast of the limb that serves as a mould for crafting a socket, but the process requires hospital visits, relies on labour-intensive skills and expertise, and often involves a trial-and-error approach.

The resulting sockets can lead to skin and stability issues if they do not provide a perfect fit. Furthermore, the process has to be repeated frequently as sockets wear down quickly with use; they are replaced every three-to-six months for adults and more regularly for children.

Now, the new method developed by Dr Simin Li, a senior lecturer in Mechanics of Biomaterials in the School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, utilises a variety of technologies and unique coding to create a socket through a fully digital process.

By capturing a 3D scan of the user's limb with a digital scanner and employing CAD software, a personalised design profile is generated, which can be imported into a 3D printer for manufacturing. According to Loughborough, the result is a fully customised socket that can be produced in as little as eight hours.