Man who lost leg in accident finds hope in 3D printing tech

However,in September this year,Bhatia came across Jariwala Robotics Pvt Ltd,a company that recently developed a 3D printer,Dimension 3 LE. Vaibhav Jariwala,the company founder,said,“While 3D technology is being applied rampantly in the West,it is relatively new in India. When we met Naresh,we realised that we could help him by creating a prosthetic leg through 3D printing.”

3D printing is a technology which converts information on a digital file into a physical object through a printer. Usually the object is assembled layer by layer. Vaibhav completed his mechatronic engineering from Lancaster University,UK,and returned to India to start the company with his brother Vishal,an MBA graduate. Vishal is focussing on spreading awareness about 3D printing among hospitals and NGOs.

For the past month,Vaibhav and Vishal have been running trial-and-error prototypes to fit Bhatia’s leg. The leg will be made of polylactic acid (PLA),a kind of biodegradable plastic.

“Through the software that we have created,we can make a model of how the leg will look like. Once the size fits his leg,we will start printing the leg,layer by layer,” said Vishal.

According to the duo,3D printing can be done with material like wood,plastic or stone. The prosthetic leg will cost 40 times less than the price quoted by hospitals. “It should cost just Rs 300-400 as opposed to lakhs in hospitals. We also took assistance from Asha Hospital in Kandivali,where it was confirmed that the leg is human-friendly,” said Vishal.

“Since we developed the software and made the 3D printing machine,the cost involved in designing and engineering the limb has been eliminated. Also,there are no middlemen involved,” said Vishal.

Dr Shankar Athavale,neurosurgeon at Asha Hospital,the limb is made of the same material (PLA) that is medically advised for prosthetic limbs and the only requirement is that it should fit properly.

Bhatia,who works as an accountant at a petrol pump,has his hopes pinned on the experiment. Even the simplest joys,like lifting his five-year-old daughter,are a struggle for him. “I hope I can walk like a normal man again,” he said.

Since the accident,even with the walking stick,Bhatia can not spread his weight equally on both legs. “The shoes I wear cause pain. I often lose my balance and there is a lot of pressure on my left leg.”

Over the months,the mounting expenditure has added to his burden. “I visited a private hospital for a prosthetic leg,but the cost was more than Rs 2 lakh. My father lost all his savings in my operation. Since I could not afford it,I started using a walking stick,” he said.

Bhatia’s wife Devki said her father-in-law had to extend his retirement to save money for the prosthetic leg. “With the new technology,I believe Naresh will be able walk normally and we won’t need to shell out all our savings,” she said.