Production of cosmetic hand prostheses for Bangladesh camp
Bangladesh calling!
At EnHands, we're excited to continue our collaboration with the Naya Qadam Trust and Dr. Viquar Qurashi to bring cosmetic hand prostheses to those in need. Naya Quadam's next prostheses camp will take place in February in Bangladesh. To make these prostheses accessible to as many people as possible, we’re putting our knowledge and technical expertise to work by designing a cosmetic hand prosthesis that's as simple and cost-effective to manufacture as possible. This way, it can be easily reproduced on-site in the future, using locally available materials. Alongside the prosthesis itself, we’re also developing a practical add-on that will allow users to eat with cutlery or write with a pen.
With the camp quickly approaching, preparations at EnHands are in full swing. The product team’s goal is to produce seven high-quality prototypes of the cosmetic hand prosthesis. These prototypes will be provided to patients in Bangladesh, allowing us to gather valuable feedback for further improvements and iterations.
Why the Cosmetic Hand Prosthesis Matters
The function of the cosmetic hand prosthesis is quite simple, yet extremely valuable. Wearing the cosmetic hand prosthesis conceals the patient's missing hand, allowing them to blend in despite the amputation and use the prosthesis for everyday functional tasks, such as eating with spoon or fork with the help of the add-on.
Cosmetic hand production
The cosmetic hand prosthesis consists of two parts: a silicone glove and a foam core. For this, the silicone is measured out in the appropriate proportions, mixed and then any air bubbles are removed in a vacuum pump. The skin tone can be adjusted by adding dye. After the vacuum pump, the crucial step follows: the silicone must be distributed evenly in the prefabricated hand mold. There must be no material accumulation in the fingers, and the skin layer must not be too thin. After carefully distributing the silicone, it dries before the glove can be removed from the mold. In the next step, the interior of the silicone hand must be filled with foam. To do this, the silicone hand is fixed in a mounted mold and filled with foam that chemically reacts. This process takes place under very high pressure, which is why tightening the mold requires skill. After the foam has cooled, the finished cosmetic prosthesis can be removed from the mold.
Learnings
Glove production has been optimized over the last few months. We have tried out different materials, material quantities and manufacturing processes, received both disappointing and surprising results, and are now ready to produce finished prosthetic hands. The product team has grown in recent weeks, with many new faces helping with production. The silicone skin production is a creative as well as time-consuming task. With skill and sensitivity, the silicone must be evenly distributed and the results can be observed and evaluated on the same day, after a tense wait. This makes cosmetic hand production very popular with the EnHands team. Not all the results were immediately satisfactory. Difficulties arose, in particular, with the even distribution of silicone in all fingers and the formation of bubbles in the hardening material. Nevertheless, the process improved and the team became more adept at handling it. After two weeks of daily production in different teams, we have completed seven finished cosmetic hand prostheses with add-ons and are excited to present them in Bangladesh!