Design and manufacturing of a 3D-printed anchorage for dynamic orthotic devices

In the field of rehabilitation, dynamic orthotic devices for the shoulder and elbow may be clinically prescribed to patients with myopathy, deformities, and general body weakness. Considering the last advancements in technologies for additive manufacturing, a 3D-Printed model for the device was initially developed to conceptualize a lightweight and custom-made design. To assemble the system, a 3D-Printed anchorage module is required to assure that the device is properly fixed on a rigid back that covers the patient’s torso and to provide an alternative strategy to brace’s traditional manufacturing methods. Since the device’s ergonomy and stability are both highly dependent on the flexural stiffness and global weight of the anchorage, the design of an optimized rigid back remains crucial. The main objective of this project is to design, manufacture, and test a 3D-printed spinal brace anchorage for upper limb dynamic orthotic devices. Using Autodesk Fusion360 and Ultimaker 5S, a selected design scenario was developed in the CAD environment and manufactured. Also, studies using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were performed to aid the design process. Further tests should be conducted on other subjects to prove the efficiency of the model that was proposed.