Case description: Conventional methods for producing custom prosthetic fingers are time-consuming, can be uncomfortable for the patient, and require a skilled prosthetist. The subject was a 40-year-old male with congenital absence of the thumb and related metacarpal bone on the right non-dominant hand, anomaly of the lengths of individual upper limb segments, and contracture of the elbow joint. This hand presentation made it impossible for him to perform thumb opposition, which is a very important function for common daily activities. Objective: The goal was to design an individual passive thumb prosthesis using free open-source software, 3D scanning technology, and additive manufacturing methods (i.e., fused filament fabrication). Study design: Case report. Treatment: Artificial thumb prostheses with two types of bases and fastening interfaces were designed and manufactured. One combination was chosen as the best alternative. Outcomes: The shape, positioning, firmness, and fastening of the prosthesis were compliant enough for the patient to be able to hold objects with his healthy fingers and artificial thumb. This innovative approach to fabrication of a custom thumb prosthesis provided considerable advantages in terms of custom sizing, manufacturing time, rapid production, iteration, comfort, and costs when compared to conventional methods of manufacturing a hand prosthesis. Conclusion: The methodology of designing and manufacturing a prosthetic thumb using 3D scanning and additive manufacturing technologies have been demonstrated to be adequate from a practical point of view. These technologies show potential for use in the practice of prosthetics.

The paper deals with the separation of the third cervical vertebra using the software VGStudio MAX, Mimics, and inVesalius. During the separation, various parameters of the threshold were used to determine the effect. The comparison of models from Mimics and inVesalius to VGStudio MAX showed that the cumulative variance distribution for 95% surface coverage is less than 0.935 mm. When comparing medically oriented software, Mimics and inVesalius, the deviation was less than 0.356 mm. The model was made of polylactic acid (PLA) material on a low-cost 3D printer, Prusa i3 MK2.5 MMU1. The printed model was scanned by four scanners: Artec Eva, 3Shape D700, Steinbichler Comet L3D, and Creaform EXAscan. The outputs from the scanners were compared to the reference model (standard tessellation language (STL) model for 3D printing) as well as to the scanner with the best accuracy (3Shape). Compared to the publications below, the analysis of deviations was evaluated on the entire surface of the model and not on selected dimensions. The cumulative variance distribution for comparing the output from the 3D scanner with the reference model, as well as comparing the scanners, shows that the deviation for 95% of the surface coverage is at the level of 0.300 mm. Since the model of the vertebra is planned for education and training, the used software and technologies are suitable for use in the design and the production process.

The aim of this study was to design, manufacture and verify orthoses using innovative methods. 3D scanning, additive manufacturing and CAD/CAM software are applied during the development process. Target group of the study are subjects with insufficient gripping and manipulating functions of the arm and forearm. Positives are obtained using a hand-held 3D scanner Artec Eva. Specific 3D scanning methodology is applied during this process. Individual orthoses are designed in an open-source CAD software Meshmixer and manufactured by FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) additive technology from a biocompatible plastic material. All models are inspected and verified in an analysis software VGStudio MAX. Given methodology can be used not only for this specific purpose, but also for orthosis development in general.

Nowadays prosthetic fingers provide not only a cosmetic solution to the problem, but mainly they provide function. 3D printing is an ideal technology for the manufacturing of low-cost prostheses, especially the upper limb prosthetics. The adva...

In this review article, we would like to describe the development and production of equipment called MorPa, designed for pickling of components extruded from Polyamide 12 material using multi jet fusion technology. The goal of this project is to create an affordable and reliable device that will change color and physical properties of the components. In the following article, we describe the hardware part of the device, the software part and compare the printed parts before and after pickling. The article also includes a description of the control of the device based on the Arduino microcomputer with the used peripherals.

The purpose of this paper is to monitor the influence of the light spectrum on sleep quality. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on current research on sleep quality. The work is focused on the influence of the light spectrum on sleep. Sleep is monitored by a bracelet and the change of the light spectrum is ensured by an RGB light band. The secondary goal is to measure the influence of external factors on sleep. The investigated factors are CO2 level, TVOC, humidity and ambient temperature. External influences are measured by commonly available sensors. An Arduino microcomputer is used to collect data and control the RGB light.