The advent of using 3D technology to better people’s lives was in evidence in a recent video that shows a young seven-year-old boy named Alex who has grown up during his short lifetime partially handicapped.
At the time of his birth, Alex’s one arm failed to develop in the proper manner, a plight that left him with a disability and is one that affects approximately 1,500 babies every year. While the possibility of a prosthetic arm existed, the prohibitive cost of it, estimated at as much as $20-$100,000, essentially put it out of his price range.
However, at the University of Central Florida in Orlando is manufacturing an arm that is estimated to cost just one percent of the regular cost. In others words, from $200-$1,000, an amount easily in the range of many families.
Albert Manero, an undergraduate at the school, created Limbitless Solutions after hearing of the many things now being created with 3D printers. One of his classmates, Tyler Petresky, explained that the limited cost of the prosthesis will likely get the attention of insurance companies. That’s because he said they’re reluctant to pay the high price of the standard one when it comes to children because they need to replaced every six months due to child growing out of it.
The designers of the prosthesis are located in California, while Manero is in Germany when not attending school. That makes for a far-flung operation that continues to grow.