Customized 3D printed ankle-foot orthosis with adaptable carbon fibre composite spring joint

Walbran, Matthew; Turner, Keith W.; McDaid, Andrew

doi:10.1080/23311916.2016.1227022

Cited by 69 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The study determined that the optimal SLS material for AFO to store and release elastic energy was Rilsan TM D80, considering minimizing energy dissipation through internal friction is a desired material characteristic. A relatively recent work from Walbran et al [94] compares yield stress of custom made orthoses made by SLS of nylon with carbon fibres and FDM with PLA. Although PLA was chosen in terms of mechanical properties and cost, they concluded that the AMT have a strong potential not only to obtain consistent and repeatable models of the subjects affected limb independently of the operator's skill and restraint of the subject, but to further automate the AFO design process.…”

Section: Materials Selection For Orthotic Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Orthotic and Prosthetic Manufacturing: A Technology Review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this work, the recent advances for rapid prototyping in the orthoprosthetic industry are presented. Specifically, the manufacturing process of orthoprosthetic aids are analysed, as thier use is widely extended in orthopedic surgery. These devices are devoted to either correct posture or movement (orthosis) or to substitute a body segment (prosthesis) while maintaining functionality. The manufacturing process is traditionally mainly hand-crafted: The subject’s morphology is taken by means of plaster molds, and the manufacture is performed individually, by adjusting the prototype over the subject. This industry has incorporated computer aided design (CAD), computed aided engineering (CAE) and computed aided manufacturing (CAM) tools; however, the true revolution is the result of the application of rapid prototyping technologies (RPT). Techniques such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and 3D printing (3DP) are some examples of the available methodologies in the manufacturing industry that, step by step, are being included in the rehabilitation engineering market—an engineering field with growth and prospects in the coming years. In this work we analyse different methodologies for additive manufacturing along with the principal methods for collecting 3D body shapes and their application in the manufacturing of functional devices for rehabilitation purposes such as splints, ankle-foot orthoses, or arm prostheses.

show abstract

Section: Materials Selection For Orthotic Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Orthotic and Prosthetic Manufacturing: A Technology Review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Estimations of the bending stiffness can be made by using both a model approach [18] and a trial-and-error approach [59]. There are two steps of modelling for the model approach, namely, a user bending stiffness model and a strut width model.…”

Section: Bending Stiffness Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the trial-and-error approach, the strut width is set beforehand in the module [19,59,64], as shown in Figure 6. The strut module, which is made of carbon fiber, connects the calf and foot parts by a screw mechanism that can be easily and quickly changed, when necessary [19].…”

Section: Bending Stiffness Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the strut width has been obtained, the manufacturing process can be accurately performed by using an additive manufacturing technique such as selective laser sintering (SLS) [63]. For the trial-and-error approach, the strut width is set beforehand in the module [19,59,64], as shown in Figure 6. The strut module, which is made of carbon fiber, connects the calf and foot parts by a screw mechanism that can be easily and quickly changed, when necessary [19].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Review on the Control of the Mechanical Properties of Ankle Foot Orthosis for Gait Assistance

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the past decade, advanced technologies in robotics have been explored to enhance the rehabilitation of post-stroke patients. Previous works have shown that gait assistance for post-stroke patients can be provided through the use of robotics technology in ancillary equipment, such as Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO). An AFO is usually used to assist patients with spasticity or foot drop problems. There are several types of AFOs, depending on the flexibility of the joint, such as rigid, flexible rigid, and articulated AFOs. A rigid AFO has a fixed joint, and a flexible rigid AFO has a more flexible joint, while the articulated AFO has a freely rotating ankle joint, where the mechanical properties of the AFO are more controllable compared to the other two types of AFOs. This paper reviews the control of the mechanical properties of existing AFOs for gait assistance in post-stroke patients. Several aspects that affect the control of the mechanical properties of an AFO, such as the controller input, number of gait phases, controller output reference, and controller performance evaluation are discussed and compared. Thus, this paper will be of interest to AFO researchers or developers who would like to design their own AFOs with the most suitable mechanical properties based on their application. The controller input and the number of gait phases are discussed first. Then, the discussion moves forward to the methods of estimating the controller output reference, which is the main focus of this study. Based on the estimation method, the gait control strategies can be classified into subject-oriented estimations and phase-oriented estimations. Finally, suggestions for future studies are addressed, one of which is the application of the adaptive controller output reference to maximize the benefits of the AFO to users.

show abstract

“…3D printing also offers a unique customization that can be better tuned to specific individuals given the varying nature of human feet. In fact, 3D printing has proven extremely popular for orthotics research allowing customised designs, through laser scanning [11], to be fabricated and tested [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Despite some concerns about durability and performance they have proven to be extremely effective with the quality of materials and printing improving rapidly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%