Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAM), which have been used extensively in the machine tools industry all over the world, will now be harnessed for the production of artificial limbs in India.

The Artificial Limb Centre of the Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS), at Pune is all set to install the necessary equipment for CAD-CAM in the near future, as part of an ongoing modernization drive that began two years ago.

“Within a period of three-six months we are planning to install CAD-CAM at the centre. In the foreign countries the technology is helping tremendously to design perfect fit prosthesis,” said Lt. Gen. B.N.Shahi, Director General of AFMS. The technology he said would improve the quality of limbs and provides state-of –the-art prosthesis. The total estimated cost for the project is pegged at Rs. two crore.

With the new systems, the time required for designing and manufacturing of a limb would be reduced from two months at present to just a few days. The rehabilitation time for the patient would be reduced to seven or fifteen days.

Another major improvement would come with the introduction of myo-electric technology for the upper limbs. A Bangalore based company called Miracle, which has developed myo-electric technology, is producing the myo-electric hands.

“We have taken ten pieces from the company and they are under trail. In this artificial limb there is a chip fit in the arm and works efficiently with the help of a switch fitted in the end of the limb. The person can easily hold or drop objects just by pressing the switch,” Shahi explained.

The centre is also getting active in producing the above knee kit. Last year the centre entered into collaboration with Tata Artificial Limb (TAL) Manufacturing Solutions to design and produce a composite above knee kit with a four bar linkage knee joint to provide modern Endo-skeletal prosthesis for above knee amputees. “Within the span of more than 50 years, there are over 45,000 patients registered with the center. The centre has also treated around 25,000 civilians,” concludes Shahi.