Prosthetics
The Cooper Union School of Engineering
Background
Soroti, Uganda, located in the landlocked region of East Africa, is now experiencing an increasing number of diabetes cases every year. Among 39,032,000 locals, there are 500,000 people who have diabetes, and among those, half are not aware of their condition. Lack of awareness of diabetes, and its management, along with a low income are the main factors that lead to Uganda’s current large number of diabetic patients. Amputations, which result from diabetes are common in Soroti. However, most locals are unable to afford prosthetic limbs due to their low income. With an agriculturalist lifestyle, once a person loses a limb, their ability to work diminishes, therefore, cutting off their source of income immediately after. Coming up with an affordable prosthetic limb can be the solution for families in Soroti. Finding appropriate strategies to assuage the issue of diabetes and amputations is an urgent problem to be solved.
ABOUT SOROTI, UGANDA
Soroti is one of the poorest areas in Uganda with rugged terrain and a tropical climate. The population of Soroti is about 60,000, and most people there are agriculturalists. Their average income is about $650, but one transtibial prosthetic on average costs $250, a big financial burden for local people to afford individually. Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive, durable transtibial prosthetic that can be used by local amputees to farm on rugged terrain.
GOALS
CHALLENGES
MATERIALS AVAILABLE
MACHINE SHOP
DIABETES & AMPUTATION
1. Create a low cost transtibial (below knee) prosthesis
2. Use materials local to Soroti, Uganda
3. Be durable enough for agriculturalists
4. Be comfortable enough to wear for hours on end
5. Allow for natural gait
6. Have an aesthetically pleasing design
1. Limited resources available in Soroti, Uganda
2. Project budget: $200, Reproduction value: $30
3. Testing durability: prototype along with completion limited to 4 months
4. Adjustability to people of different sizes and ages
5. Restricting the weight of the prosthetic: less than 1.1kg (4.2 lbs)
Diabetes can usually lead to peripheral artery disease (PAD), which causes patients’ blood vessels to narrow and reduces blood flow to the legs and feet. It may also cause nerve damage, known as peripheral neuropathy. This could prevent patients from feeling pain. Once patients can hardly feel the pain, they may not realize they have a wound or ulcer on the feet. Without any notice, they may continue putting pressure on their affected area, which can cause it to grow and caused tissues infected and amputation.
Currently, there are two machine shops that we know of in Uganda. The first is in Soroti; however, the shop is closed due to the lack of operating fees. A sponsor must be found in order to re-open said shop. The second shop is four hours away from Soroti in the nation's capital. The shop charges for the time used while operating the machines. As of now, the group has no information on the types of equipment each shop contains.
Due to its landlocked location, Uganda has limited natural resources as well as manmade materials. Materials that can be found locally include wood, rubber, velcro, solar cells, cheap electric wires, and plastics.