Making life better for amputees: Customizable, affordable, and sustainable 3D printed technology for prosthetics

According to a study by the University of East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC), 80% of Filipino amputees do not have prosthetic limbs and this makes their everyday life difficult.  Responding to this need, the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology and Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) developed the Nanocomposite Filaments for 3D Printed Prosthetics Technology that will enable the production and deployment of on-demand, highly- customized prosthetics and orthotics available anywhere in the country, including the remote areas.

Making prosthetics takes some time and it can be costly.  However, with this technology on 3D printed prosthetics, it’s easier for manufacturers to produce the prosthetics, and this also resolved the problem with limited facilities. The Nanocomposite 3D Printing technology package includes scanning procedures, design processing, additive manufacturing, and post-processing. 

With the conventional method of making prosthetics, production of prosthetics used to take some time, and a lot of materials that were not typically recycled were wasted.  Through additive manufacturing, which uses numerous types of materials, from polymers, metals, and ceramics to foams, gels, and even biomaterials, prosthetics can be prepared in a shorter period, practically anywhere, as long as there’s a 3D printer, and with little wastes, especially since local materials are used and additive manufacturing technology reduced the production costs.

Margarito, a chemical engineer, has been involved in various fields of research such as environment, biotechnology, energy, and materials research during his twenty-four years in DOST-ITDI.  He was inspired by his mentors and colleagues from DOST-ITDI, including those he worked with during his training at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Margarito aims to make prosthetics accessible and affordable, giving renewed confidence to amputees, particularly children.

Developing a technology entails a lot of reading on current research and brainstorming with other multidisciplinary team members from DOST-ITDI.  Margarito believes that the team’s diverse expertise helped in coming up with ideas in examining details and doing technology evaluation.   

Their research team also encountered some organizations in the country who also worked on similar research, such as Instalimb Solutions Philippines, Inc., whose business was triggered by a patient with diabetes complicated by gangrene (a serious medical condition where body tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply) whom the founder met in the Philippines as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers member.  The patient could not purchase a prosthetic leg, and the founder was surprised to learn that there was no company producing prosthetic legs at all in the area of the patient.  Instalimb established the first fabrication laboratory in Bohol.

Currently, there is only a prototype of Nanocomposite 3D, and the technology has not been deployed.  But DOST-ITDI has ongoing collaborations with the UERMMMC, which houses the Orthotics and Prosthetics Center, and Instalimb Solutions Philippines, Inc. which is also into prosthetics through additive manufacturing.  Together with the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), DOST-ITDI aims to pursue the standards for 3D Printed Prosthetics and elevate it to the ISO TC 261 Technical Committee on Additive Manufacturing.

The Nanocomposite 3D Technology was evaluated and validated through its mechanical performance, such as tensile, compressive, and flexural strength, using a universal testing machine.  The Nanocomposite 3D technology has a higher compressive strength with little inclusion.  

One of the challenges that the team encountered was the disadvantage of Nanocomposite 3D Printing using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) where the mechanical property varies in different directions, or what is referred to as anisotropy - the difference in properties when measured along various axes.  To address this, the forces acting on the prints for the intended use needs to be known to determine the optimum print orientation. Post-heat treatment was also applied to reduce the anisotropy of the prints.

The Nanocomposite Filaments for 3D Printed Prosthetics Technology participated in the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, which showcased global innovations.  The Philippine delegation to the event forged some strategic partnerships that will advance the Philippines’ technological capabilities soon.

Margarito was grateful to DOST-Technology Application Promotion Institute (TAPI) for opening doors for them in an international invention exposition. This gave them opportunities to further develop, collaborate, and commercialize their technology. Participating in CES 2025 connected them with possible users and angel investors, who are among the potential markets for their invention.

A decade from today, with the technology that can custom-size 3D printed prosthetics produced on demand, Margarito and his team envisioned that the fabrication of prosthetics will be more accessible in every barangay, each barangay being equipped with a 3D printer and scanner.

Drive innovation in 3D-printed prosthetics.  The DOST-ITDI seeks collaborations, partnerships, investments, and licensing opportunities to advance customizable, affordable, and sustainable solutions. Email Dr. Annabelle V. Briones at od@itdi.dost.gov.ph or avbriones@itdi.dost.gov.ph.