Man whose hand was crushed by meat grinder gets 3D-printed bionic fingers
After an accident when he was younger, Mo Ali had to have four of his fingers amputated due to his hand getting stuck in a meat grinder.
At age six, Mo was left with physical difficulties that affected his cycling hobby and experienced bullying throughout his childhood.
However, Ali's life took a turn for the better thanks to today's technology.
Ali was given a 3D-printed bionic hand, called the 'Hero Gauntlet', in which he now has regained full control and dexterity of his hand.
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The 40-year-old is able to cycle again and dress himself more easily with his new bionic fingers. He's also mentioned that the new age hand has given him an instant confidence boost.
Developed by UK-based Open Bionics, the robotic hand was designed as a prosthesis for people who have undergone partial hand amputations allowing them to regain full hand functionality.
The Gauntlet is specifically tailored to each user with the use of 3D scanning, printing, and modelling technologies. The company is hoping it will be made available to other people with limb differences on the NHS.
Ali was previously given a prosthetic arm by the NHS but found it to be too uncomfortable for his daily activities.
'It was operated by my shoulder to open and close. It was so heavy and uncomfortable – and it got in the way. I stopped using it after a day,' he said.
'I love bikes. Cycling, motorbikes, everything to do with bikes. In the past, I used to use a bike glove, stuff it with tissue and grip it around the handlebars so I could have better control of steering. Now with the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something, I know it's not going anywhere.'
Pleased with his newest addition, Ali said: 'I coped with my disability by simply hiding it… now, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide.'
Open Bionics co-founder Samantha Payne commented on the accomplishment: 'We’ve had so many requests to design and develop a functional partial hand prosthesis for all-day wear.
'It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have a positive physical and emotional impact on Mo’s life.'