Italian biomedical engineer Marco Avaro has discovered 3D printing to be a fast and highly personalised method to create custom prothetic legs.
The owner of the Del Bene orthopaedic studio in Trieste purchased a DeltaWASP 2040 to create crucial parts of the prothetic legs for his patients.
“The printer makes the difference“, Avaro explains. “It allows me to realize very big pieces, over 40 centimeters, at a time, with an only printed. The quality is so high that I don’t have to process the plastic for the millwork. The printing speed is very high and the structure of the machine permits to reproduce wafer-thin shells.”
Avaro uses the DeltaWASP to 3D print the the outer shell of the socket and the foot itself and then applies other methods to complete the personalised products. He especially finds 3D printing helpful for degenerative illnesses, where designs are usually very asymmetric.
”DeltaWASP 20 40 prints brillantly overcame the destructive tests and the calculation tests with accomplished elements. This makes it possible to realize a resistant structure which is much more lightweight”, says Avaro.
It’s not only the functionality that stands out but, according to Avaro, the 3D printed plastic can be polished to also give the prosthetic a shiny look. Moreover the new and more efficient technology also allows for the creation of special designs requested by the clients. “The printer is so fast. To realize a tibial prothesis I needed eight hours, now I can make it in two. I have the chance to realize prothesis for the ones who practice specific sports just like mountain climbing and sky run.
“Meeting WASP changed my work, and consequently my life.”
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