The number of amputees worldwide is 20 million, and for most of them finding a well-fitting prosthesis is not easy, said Rafina Innovations Inc.
This company is dedicated to healthcare innovation in the field of prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) and intends to engage in the operation of total P&O rehabilitation clinics.
Traditional methods of designing, fabricating and fitting a prosthetic socket are often carried out using «artisanal» techniques, but unfortunately often result in ill-fitting devices that make wearing a prosthesis almost intolerable for a large number of amputees.
A prosthetic socket is a custom-made «cone» that connects the rest of the prosthesis (foot, leg and knee) to the amputee’s residual limb.
The residual limb is the end of a limb after the limb has been severed or amputated.
Sockets generally need to be replaced every two years, although more frequently in the early stages after amputation when the residual limb can still change shape significantly.
Although many important technological advances have been made in the design and manufacture of prosthetic components, such as knee braces and electronic feet, socket design has not kept pace.
Over the past 20 years, according to Rafina Innovations, much research has been done to automate the socket design and manufacturing process, but success has been limited.
Most sockets are still created with plaster casts made by hand by the prosthetist or a technician hours or days after examining the amputee.
Amputees
The result is that typically one in four sockets is discarded due to poor fit.
Many (if not all) prosthetists are frustrated by the lack of an objective method to ensure an optimal socket fit.
This «need» for assistance prompted the emergence of industrial sector technologies for field application, although these systems, in reality, lack the necessary «ingredient» to enable the fabrication of an optimal socket.
Rafina Innovations’ intention is to seek strategic relationships with medical device manufacturers in both China and North America with the goal of being their sales and distribution agent in northern China.
