Design and Analysis of a Myoelectric Arm Prosthesis for

• Main Authors: Alonto, Azzam Afghani P., Delos Santos, Christian Ericson P., Jardenil, Aaron Randall, Ocho, Alan Miguel Joaquin M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: pwds; transradial amputees; prosthetics; assistive device; finite element analysis
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2021/paper_csr/5; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1655/viewcontent/CSTR_Design_and_Analysis_of_a_Myoelectric_Arm_Prosthesis_for_Transradial.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Amputees struggle to function because of the large degree of dependence they need to execute basic tasks that people could normally do. Amputees usually opt to use a prosthesis, for cosmetic and other functional reasons, which are not often made for situations with intense physical exertion such as the workplace. Thus, this study aims to create a mechanical arm prosthesis design that is occupationally suitable for transradial amputees. The device is mostly made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a type of thermoplastic. A digital model of the prosthesis, divided into three subassemblies, was created via Autodesk Inventor. These then went through Finite Element Analysis in which a 400 N load was placed to simulate a pushing force. After the simulations, it was proven that the individual subassemblies can withstand the specified force with minimal displacement and without yielding which shows that larger forces could be exerted. This also shows that ABS is a suitable material for creating such assistive devices. Further study could be made by optimizing the geometry and changing the orientation of the loads.