Data-driven fitting for the next generation of prosthetic sockets
Radii is motivated by the need to improve the fitting of prosthetic limbs for the 170m people worldwide with amputations. This is an urgent priority for patients: a well-fitting prosthetic socket is the determining factor in enabling mobility and participation in society; and for the clinic: with increasing demand for prosthetic limbs, increasing cost burden, and resulting need to support prosthetists to achieve perfect socket fit, faster, with fewer rejections.
The prosthetic socket interfaces between the residual limb and the prosthetic componentry. However advanced the componentry, if the socket is the wrong shape or size, or the pressure distribution doesn't match the user's needs, the limb will be completely useless. These sockets are complex to design due to variability in patient limb shape, soft tissue stiffness and regional tolerance to load. Rejection rates are 31%.
Since 2014, University of Southampton researchers have developed technology to meet the patient and clinic need, guided by input from providers including Opcare, and patients. Radii Devices are translating this technology to the clinic.
This project will develop a revolutionary system to support prosthetists in the design of prosthetic sockets, supporting the complex rectification process with data and AI to enable better designs for perfect fit, faster, with fewer patient appointments.
Innovations include:
* Technical: the first solution to provide data-driven support in the socket design process, capable of designing complex devices which fully utilise cutting-edge 3D printing technologies.
* Scientific: powered by the world's largest dataset of socket designs, limb shapes, and outcome measures -- initially 1000, increasing post-deployment.
* Commercial: a fully interoperable system, compatible with any digital shape capture and manufacturing method, which can be licenced and integrated into clinical pathways worldwide.
The healthcare challenge is sizeable, with 7,000 amputations performed annually by NHS England, with a £60m cost burden, and 185,000 amputations annually in the US. The challenge is growing with ageing populations and rising diabetes incidence.
The Radii innovation will meet the healthcare challenge and offer socio-economic impact by:
* Enabling prosthetists to design better fitting sockets by providing predictive AI models, unlocking the potential of data to support achievement of perfect fit, faster.
* Reducing time to fit.
* Reducing rejection rates and reducing costs of refits.
* Offering savings of ~£200k/year per clinic.
* Improving patient outcomes and quality of life, with improved comfort and enabling full participation in society.