Development of a Low-Cost Myoelectric Arm Prosthesis for a One-Year-Old Child with Congenital Amniotic Band Syndrome

Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS) affects fetal development and results in the birth of children with limb absence. This study proposes the design and manufacture of a prosthesis for a one-year-old average patient with ABS, allowing for the opening and closing of the prosthetic hand through the detection of muscular electrical signals produced on the surface of the patient’s residual limb. The signals are amplified and digitized, and the pros-thesis is designed to be cost-effective. The study begins with the mechanical design of the prosthesis components and additive manufacturing, fol-lowed by the implementation of the electronic part that detects and digitizes the muscular signals to activate and control the motors responsible for the prosthetic movement. Finally, a validation stage is conducted about the implementation’s weight and response. The obtained result is a functional, portable device that weighs 201 g and is low cost at USD 800. It would allow the user to regain some functionality with their missing limb, such as object grasping, with an average response time of 0.26 s while maintaining an anthropomorphic similarity of 83% to the average limb of a 1-year-old child.