A research team from the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, has developed high-quality dynamic prosthetic feet, with input from a network of doctors, prosthetists, and orthotists who shared their expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge. The prosthetic feet are made from carbon fiber, making them light weight but strong and durable. They are also flexible and bendable and can store energy with each step. Users can walk in them on rough terrains, while exercising, and during a light jog. The innovation has received the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 10328 strength standards from Germany and has been certified with the ISO 13485 for quality. It has also been registered as a medical device with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), been granted a petty patent, and registered in Thai SME-GP. The prosthetic feet are currently in the process of being registered with Thai Innovation, requesting the Made in Thailand certificate, and requesting for the CE Marking.
According to Asst. Prof. Pairat Tangpornprasert, PhD, from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, the dynamic prosthetic feet have undergone clinical trials with 20 patients with disabilities and yielded highly satisfactory results. The users require approximately 2 weeks to adjust to the prosthetic feet. In comparison with the imported prosthetic feet now available on the market, the innovation has comparable qualities and efficiency but costs 5 times less to produce. This can then help reduce the high cost of prosthetic and orthotic imports to the country. Moreover, commercial production of medical devices can expand the market overseas, leading to more generation of income, export opportunities, and the country’s competitiveness.
