Multi-material design and 3D printing method of lower limb prosthetic sockets

The paper shows a research activity aimed at integrating low cost industrial technologies in the design, test and manufacture of medical devices. This work focuses on lower limb prosthesis and in particular on the custom-t component interacting with the residual limb, i.e. the socket. The process going from the 3D reconstruction of patients' limb to the manufacture of the socket by means of a 3D printer has been designed. Moreover, this must be as automatic as possible and should not require the presence of a design and simulation expert. This implied a deep involvement of physicians and orthopaedic technicians in order to embed rules and procedures in the system. The process is divided in three steps: design, test and manufacture. For each step some details are shown and at last some conclusions are drawn mainly concerning the challenge of multi-material 3D printing of the socket.