Startup company 3D prints prosthetic hands at no cost to patients
U of G student Jerry Ennett is in his final year of the biomedical engineering program. On top of his demanding course schedule, Ennett designs and produces prosthetic hands for children who couldn’t otherwise afford them through his 3D printing company, Taurus 3D. While most students are just trying to make it through their readings, Ennett has combined his passion for engineering with his desire to help others.
In an interview with The Ontarion, Ennett explained that through referrals and through the school system, Taurus 3D identifies children who are in need of custom prosthetic hands. He then meets with each individual to take photos and measurements for their custom design. Afterwards, using a 3D printer, he prints the prosthetics using only about 15 to 20 dollars of material. According to Ennett, prosthetic arms and hands can range from $500 to $5,000, depending on if the device is custom or moveable. Ennett assembles the printed pieces, fits them on the child, and teaches the child how to use it. Ennett explained that “if [the patient] has a wrist, when they bend it the fingers will open and close. And if they don’t have a wrist, when they bend their elbow, the fingers will open and close.”
Ennett told The Ontarion that prosthetics for children can become very expensive for a family, especially when the child is growing and will likely require a new prosthetic every year.
Perhaps the best part of Ennett’s endeavour is that these prosthetics are completely free for the children and their families. In order to fund this social enterprise, Ennett’s company relies on donations from the community and revenue from workshops, but he has also taken to designing prosthetics for local surgeons and doctors to help fund his business.
3D printing lab in India
In 2016, Ennett’s company was awarded first place at the World Vision Social Innovation Design Challenge for its 3D printed prosthetics education and training program. The next step for this project came in November, when the company set up a 3D printing lab in Tamil Nadu, India so that prosthetic devices could be made available at no cost to the people in the region.
Ennett had the opportunity to travel to the clinic this winter to:
- Deliver 3D printing machines
- Train locals on the devices
- Help set up the printing facilities
At a medical rehabilitation clinic located in Amar Seva Sangam, staff will scan the patient and send the measurements to Ennett in Guelph, where he will design the prosthetic and send the plan back to India to be printed on site.
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At this point, Taurus 3D has produced approximately 50 prosthetic hands, but these devices are only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to his projects both locally and in India, Ennett has helped to develop an online platform called 3D Like Me, which connects amputees with both 3D printing specialists and medical specialists who can oversee the prosthetics process and ensure that the patient’s rehabilitation goes smoothly.
Balancing responsibilities
Despite a full-time course schedule, Ennett was able to not only maintain a successful social enterprise but also expand the project overseas. Ennett told The Ontarion that his first two co-op work terms at the University of Guelph involved work that was very similar to what he is doing now. He credits those positions for helping him get involved in 3D printing and prosthetics engineering. On his most recent co-op work term, Ennett was able to spend his time working on his own startup company. With the help of the University, Ennett was able to use his work term to really build up his company.
Now that he is in his last semester, with a manageable workload, Ennet is able to continue dedicating time to this project. While Ennett manages the business independently, he told The Ontarion that he is lucky to have the help of volunteers to move the project forward.
The Ontarion asked Ennett to share some advice for aspiring designers and inventors
“Try to look at the world and different situations as opportunities to help,” he said, explaining that 3D printing used to be a novelty. It was a cool toy that students could play with, but it didn’t really have practical applications. Once people began to realize its potential, the process truly started to make an impact. Ennett’s advice for up and coming inventors is: “Use technology in the best possible way to try and make a difference in the world.”
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How does 3D printing work?
According to Jerry Ennett, 3D printing is an additive method of manufacturing, as opposed to the more common subtractive methods that we normally encounter. In short, this means that instead of carving a shape or design out of a larger piece of material, 3D printing builds a product from nothing.
Ennett explained that the 3D printer is essentially like a giant hot glue gun; hard plastic goes in, gets melted down, and is deposited in countless thin layers on the print bed until the final product has taken form.
One of the greatest advantages of this method for manufacturing prosthetics is that it produces essentially no waste material, except for support materials, which are not always necessary. For the prosthetic hands in particular, Ennett explained that the fingers, palm, and forearm are all printed separately by the machine. The pieces are then assembled using screws, pins, foam, super glue, and fishing line.
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With files from Bukola Toluyemi
Photo provided by Jerry Ennett