Development of a high-performance, durable, low-cost, modular recycled Carbon fibre composite prosthetic foot system for Low/Middle income countries

世界卫生组织估计，到2011年，生活在低收入和中等收入国家的残疾人对假肢的需求将上升到3000万。为了解决康复问题，已经制定了大量的立法。尽管如此，低收入和中等收入国家提供的服务水平参差不齐。立法强调获得康复服务的权利。然而，在国民总收入较低的国家；康复服务很少被列为优先事项，因为可以理解，初级卫生保健优先。相反，随着初级保健举措取得成功，随着更多的残疾人在婴儿期存活下来，对康复服务的需求也会增加。因此，需要更多的研究；a)评估低收入和中等收入国家目前的服务提供模式。b)开发高性能和低成本的工程解决方案，使足够的假肢干预。该项目的目的是开发基于再生碳纤维的仿生假肢踝足系统，该系统具有高性能，耐用性，舒适性以及低成本的能量储存和释放，并且有可能在低收入国家制造。这将涉及在先进复合材料、顺应性主动结构和组件、完整假肢系统设计和计算建模、仿真、测试和验证、规模化制造、可持续社会企业发展、功能结果量化、需求评估和中低收入国家假肢服务提供等关键科学领域的协同努力。所有基础研究组成部分将由临床团队与中低收入国家的既定伙伴合作确定、评估和量化的最终临床和社会需求以及以用户为中心的设计驱动。这些措施将满足核心用户群体的需要，他们需要康复和援助，以保持假肢使用者的独立性。确定目标用户群体对假肢足系统的具体需求和看法。为苛刻环境所需的特定行为建立工程规范，以满足目标用户群体的明确需求。设计和开发有针对性的功能顺应材料，使高性能假肢足具有动态能力。根据用户参与和反馈，开发假肢足的产品设计规范。设计、制造和测试一套NFC组件。这包括脚和连接脚到其他假体部件的适配器，例如，用于经股假体的膝盖和用于膝关节假体下方的窝。在现实世界中评估原型脚。即英国、印度、卢旺达和马拉维。工作计划包括八个相互关联的工作包（P1-P6），从下至上，从复合材料研究和计算建模到完成原型假肢踝足系统和临床验证的开发管道。P1。对目标用户群体的需求评估和看法P2。经鉴定的天然纤维复合材料的力学特性。P3。高性能部件的设计和优化。P4。力学试验6.田间试验推荐的规模化生产途径。影响：这项工作成果的直接受益者是膝盖以下截肢的人。此外，将建立一个有关先进复合材料和计算建模数据库的知识库，使学术界和工业界受益。

BACKGROUND/NEED The WHO estimates that amongst the disabled people living in LMIC's the need for prostheses will have risen to 30 million by 2011. To address rehabilitation issues a plethora of legislation has been produced. Despite this, varied levels of service provision exist in LMIC's. Entitlement of access to rehabilitation services is emphasised in legislation. However, in countries where the gross national income is low; rehabilitation services are rarely prioritised as primary health care understandably takes precedence. Conversely, as primary health care initiatives achieve success, greater demand is created for rehabilitation services as more disabled people survive infancy. Therefore, more research is required to ; a) assess current models of service provision in LMIC's. and b) to develop high performance and low cost engineering solutions that enable adequate prosthetic intervention.RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The aim of the project is to develop recycled carbon fibre based biomimetic prosthetic ankle-foot system which exhibits high-performance, durability, comfort as well as energy storage and release which is low cost and could potentially be fabricated in LMICs. This will involve a concerted effort in the key scientific areas of advanced composites, compliant active structures and components, full prosthetic system design and computational modelling, simulation, testing and validation, manufacturing to scale, as well as sustainable social enterprise development, functional outcome quantification, need assessment and prosthetic service provision in LMICs. All fundamental research components will be driven by the ultimate clinical and social needs and user centred design as identified, evaluated and quantified previously by a clinical team in collaboration with established partners in LMICs. These will address the needs of the core user groups who require rehabilitation and assistance to maintain independence of prosthetic users. To realise a set of objectives are defined: Determine the specific needs and perceptions of the target user groups for prosthetic feet systems. Establish engineering specifications for the specific behaviour required for demanding environments to meet the identified needs of the target user group. Design and develop targeted functional compliant materials to enable dynamic capability of high-performance prosthetic feet. Develop product design specifications for the prosthetic foot, based on user engagement and feedback. Design, fabricate and test a set of NFC components. This includes feet and adapters to connect the feet to the other prosthetic components i.e. the knee for trans femoral prosthesis and socket for below the knee prosthesis. Evaluate prototype feet in the real world. i.e. UK, India, Rwanda and Malawi.PROGRAMME AND METHODOLOGY The work programme consists of eight interlinked work packages (P1-P6) which address, from the bottom up, the developmental pipeline from composite research and computational modelling to complete prototype prosthetic ankle-foot system and clinical validation. P1.Need assessment and perceptions of the target user groups P2.Mechanical characterisation of the identified natural fibre composites. P3. Design and optimisation of the high-performance components. P4. Mechanical testing P5. Field trials P6.Recommended pathways for production at scale. Impact: The direct beneficiaries of this work's outcomes are persons with a below the knee amputation. In addition, a knowledge base in relation to advanced composites and computational modelling data base will be created benefiting, academia and industry.