FATHER’S AMAZING BIONIC ARM GIFT
GAME-CHANGER FOR TODDLERS
A DAD who developed an artificial limb for his baby using X-Box accessories and a 3D printer is a step closer to rolling out a trial involving youngsters around the world.
Ben Ryan made the bionic arm for his son, Sol, after doctors were forced to amputate below the elbow when he suffered a blood clot at 10 days old.
The family, from Anglesey, were told they would have to wait until Sol was at least a year old before the NHS could offer a prosthetic limb.
But former psychology lecturer Ben decided to develop his own, inspired by the way spiders make their webs.
Sol, now two, can use his arm to grip, and now a trial has been launched involving 20 children under the age of three.
Ben’s firm, Ambionics, is ready to roll it out having created a viable product for testing. He said: “Each arm is customised to the user from a 3D scan of their limb.
“Parents usually perform the scan at home while their children are asleep. Once this is done, they send us the file.
“We clean up the scan data then design and supply test sockets followed by the full arm system.
“Most of the children taking part in the trial are from Wales and the UK, but we also have youngsters in Europe, Australia, Africa, Canada and South America.
“The trial moves us a significant step further towards the commercialisation of our technology, which can be a real game-changer for children under the age of three.”
He added: “The NHS takes 11 weeks to convert the plaster cast of an arm into a wearable prosthetic, whereas Ambionics can produce one in less than five days and scans are kept on file, making it easy for replacement prosthetics to be produced through 3D printing.”
Mr Ryan said research into infant development shows that higher rejection rates occur when children are fitted with prosthetic devices after the age of two, while another study reveals those fitted early accept their powered prosthesis more easily.
The technology has been achieved without expensive motors, control systems, batteries or complicated wire and lever mechanisms.
Instead, by placing water-filled rubber sacks (actuators) at pressure points on the body – for example, under the arm, inside the socket or even within a shoe – pressure can be generated by the user to operate the system.
The technology is inspired by how nature allows spiders’ legs to actuate using hydraulic pressure.
Mr Ryan said: “We are actively fundraising to support the ongoing research and development of the product and to enable us to reach our end goal.”
Ambionics has been supported by donations via the website ambionics.co.uk and has backing from sponsor RS Components, which provided materials, and design expertise from software specialist, Autodesk.