Roliner offers personalised fit for amputees

The AI-powered liner adapts to changes in body shape, enhancing comfort and reducing the risk of sores.

After eight years of prototype development and clinical investigation, researchers at the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London have published the details of their patented new material in Nature Communications.

In a statement, principal investigator Dr Firat Guder said: “Prosthetic limbs are often uncomfortable because they have a fixed rigid shape. Even though this shape can be moulded to fit the individual’s body as it is at the time of fitting, it cannot adapt responsively to how our bodies change. Ultimately, no matter how sophisticated the limb itself is, if it cannot connect closely and comfortably with the human body, it becomes unwearable.

“Up until now, researchers have tried and failed to solve this problem by trying to improve the limbs and sockets themselves. But we took a different approach by developing a dynamically adaptive interface for the liners used between the body and the rigid prosthetic socket.”