Background

Prothesia Inc is a medical device company that specializes in the design and production of prosthetic limbs. The company has been in operation for over 10 years and has established itself as a leader in the industry. However, with the advent of additive manufacturing, Prothesia realized that they needed to update their design strategy to remain competitive.

The company approached our team to help them develop a new design strategy that would incorporate additive manufacturing techniques. Our team consisted of three engineers and two designers with experience in both the medical device industry and additive manufacturing.

Problem

The main challenge was to develop a design strategy that would allow Prothesia to take advantage of the benefits of additive manufacturing while still meeting regulatory requirements for medical devices. Additionally, we needed to ensure that the new design strategy could be easily integrated into Prothesia's existing business processes.

We also had to consider the impact on patients who use prosthetic limbs. The new design strategy needed to result in prosthetics that were more comfortable, durable, and functional than previous designs.

Solution

We began by conducting extensive research into additive manufacturing techniques and materials that were suitable for medical devices. We then worked closely with Prothesia's engineering team to develop a set of design guidelines that incorporated these techniques and materials.

We used computer-aided design (CAD) software to create prototypes of the new prosthetic designs, which we tested using finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. This allowed us to identify any potential weaknesses or areas for improvement before moving on to physical prototyping.

Once we had finalized the designs, we worked with Prothesia's production team to develop a plan for integrating the new design strategy into their existing business processes. This involved training staff on how to use the new CAD software and ensuring that all necessary equipment was available.

Impact

Increased efficiency in production process by X%
Improved patient satisfaction ratings by X%
Reduced material waste by X%
Increase in revenue by X% due to increased demand for new prosthetic designs

Team

Amy Chen - Lead Engineer
- Oversaw research into additive manufacturing techniques and materials
Daniel Kim - Designer
- Created CAD prototypes of new prosthetic designs
Jessica Lee - Engineer
- Conducted FEA simulations on prototypes
Mohammed Ahmed - Designer
- Collaborated with Daniel Kim on CAD prototypes
Samantha Wong - Engineer
- Led integration of new design strategy into Prothesia's business processes

Revolutionizing Prosthetic Design with Additive Manufacturing