Through the Lens: UNO’s 3D-printed prosthesis

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Jessica Wade
Editor in Chief

Christopher Copeland describes a machine that uses near-infrared spectroscopy technology to measure oxygen levels in the brain.
Claudia Cortes Reyes shows the design program used for all the designs.

“Over at UNMC, one of the projects I got to work on recently, a lot of students have a hard time finding a radial artery so we made a simulator for medical students to practice before going into the operating room. Starting the project from a to b and using everything I’ve learned, that was really awesome.” – David Salazar
Salazar demonstrates an exercise used to measure manual dexterity.
David Salazar holds a 3D-printed anatomical heart.

David Salazar holds an anatomical model. “One of our earliest cases was a girl in Chile who had a tumor. They couldn’t get rid of it entirely but she’s doing a lot better now.”

Christopher Copeland demonstrates a prosthetic designed for one of the team’s older patients.

“Our prosthetics are made for children, and the main reason we make prosthetics for children is that insurance companies don’t fund upper-limb prosthetics for children. With children growing so quickly, you can get them a prosthetic and then maybe six months later it doesn’t fit anymore because they’re growing.” Claudia Cortes Reyes
A cost efficient wrist splint being printed in the lab.
“I took biomechanics with Dr. Z and he was so passionate about the research that he was doing, I really just liked the idea of being able to help people. The fact that this is life changing and low-cost. I was born in Mexico, we lived in a very small village and I can’t imagine if these prosthetics were available in our village…that would have been so life changing for them.” – Claudia Cortes Reyes

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