Inkbit

3D Printed Fingers Give Hope to Accident Victim

ST Dentistry

Share this Article

Howard Kamarata (Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic)

Kamarata

Over and over again, we have been reporting on stories where individuals with missing limbs and phalanges have seen their lives vastly improved, through the use of 3D printing. This latest story takes us to Phoenix, Arizona where a long time pipe fitter and handyman lost three of his fingers in a freak accident.

Howard Kamarata, 57, was just doing what he normally does — handyman work — last October.  He was working at his home, on an outdoor project, when he accidentally cut off four of his fingers on a miter saw. Unfortunately for Kamarata, only one of his four fingers (his pinkie) was able to be reattached. The others had been too severely mangled by the saw to have any chance of survival. Kamarata ended up losing his three middle fingers from the middle knuckle forward, and he was left unable to do most of his routine, everyday activities.

“You can’t be a pipe fitter with one hand,” Kamarata said.

After working as a pipe fitter for 35 years, he was unable to even perform previously simple tasks, such as picking up and dialing his phone. Kamarate reached a point where he was beginning to fall into depression, due to changes in his life that he had no control over.

“‘What am I going to do now?’ That’s what I thought,” he explained. “What would I be good for?”

Getting traditional prosthetic fingers were not an option. Kamarata was not about to fork over tens of thousands of dollars for these medical devices. It just wasn’t feasible for him.

Kamarata then ran into a friend named Casey Barrett, who was an industrial designer. Barrett could tell that Kamarata was quite upset with his situation, and wanted to help out. “A few months earlier, I had seen a video online of someone who made a hand for a child,” explained Barrett. “I thought it was really cool. I did some more research, and found someone who had made a design that would work for Howard. As a design engineer, I was interested in 3-D printing. Maybe this was an opportunity for me to learn more.”

Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic

Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic

Barrett found designs for prosthetic fingers on the internet, and went ahead and printed them out on a 3D printer supplied by a man named Dan Perlmutter of Graphic Design Services. He combined these 3D printed fingers with a glove, some high-strength braided fishing line, some wires, pins, and screws.

The creation cost less than $100 to construct, and the new device allowed Kamarata to once again flex his fingers enough to pick up objects. “I was able to hold things again,” Kamarata said. “I could pick up a water bottle.”

Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic

Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic

While Kamarata feels a whole lot better, and is once again able to perform normal functions around the house, he still will not be able to return to work as a Pipe fitter again. This is just fine with him though, as he now has a new passion; helping others with missing fingers get their hands on these amazingly affordable prosthetic devices.

This just goes to show how a little help from a friend, combined with open source designs via the internet, and a 3D printer, can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Discuss Kamarata’s story in the 3D Printed Prosthetic Finger forum thread on 3DPB.com

[Source: The Arizona Republic]
[Image Source: Charlie Leight, The Arizona Republic]

Share this Article


Recent News

3D Systems Confirms Bid to Buy Stratasys to Create $1.84B 3D Printing Company

3D Printing News Unpeeled: Stratasys, Nano Dimension and 3D Systems



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

PyroGenesis Receives First By-the-Ton Order for Titanium 3D Printing Powder

PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a Montreal-based advanced materials company specializing in metal powders for additive manufacturing (AM), announced that it received its first by-the-ton order, from an unnamed American customer. The...

3D Printing Financials: Stratasys Reveals Strong Q1 Earnings Ahead of $1.8B Merger with Desktop Metal

Following Nano Dimension (Nasdaq: NNDM)’s numerous failed attempts to acquire Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), the 3D printing pioneer finally announced its merger with Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM) in a staggering deal...

Featured

Printing Money Emergency Broadcast: Stratasys and Desktop Metal to Merge in All-stock Deal

In what is shaping up to be the biggest deal in the 3D printing industry of 2023, Stratasys and Desktop Metal will combine to form a $1.8 billion company. Alex...

3D Printing Webinar & Event Roundup: May 28, 2023

It’s another busy week in the world of 3D printing webinars and events, covering topics like automated wax support removal, wire-laser metal additive manufacturing, SLS 3D printing, manufacturing for space,...