Economics

E-Nable’s 3D-Printed Prostheses for Kids

3D printing brings the cost of children’s prostheses down to size

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By Richard Morgan

July 23, 2015 at 4:36 PM EDT

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the July 27, 2015 issue of businessweek.

Innovator: Andreas Bastian
Age: 25
Technical director of Los Gatos (Calif.) nonprofit E-Nable Community Foundation and 3D-printing researcher at Autodesk

Form and function
E-Nable designs 3D-printed prostheses for children older than 3 and shares their blueprints so they can be made for as little as $30. This way, the prostheses can be easily replaced as the kids outgrow them.

Background
Each year, 32,500 U.S. kids undergo amputations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1,500 are born with “upper limb reductions.”

Origin
Bastian, formerly head of R&D at MakerBot, began developing E-Nable’s hands in 2013.

Funding
In May, Google donated $600,000 to support E-Nable’s R&D and production.

Setup
Made from $8 to $15 worth of nontoxic, waterproof 3D-printer plastic and five screws, the prosthetic hands connect to a child’s active muscles via elastic straps.