IIT Guwahati develops affordable prosthetic leg for Indian conditions

GUWAHATI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a prosthetic leg specifically designed for Indian conditions. The low cost prosthetic leg is suitable for uneven terrain and supports Indian needs such as cross-legged sitting, and deep squatting. It is also adjustable for the different age groups and multiple stages of prosthesis use.

This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. IIT Guwahati Researchers collaborated with 151 Army Base Hospital, Guwahati, Tolaram Bafna Kamrup District Civil Hospital, Guwahati, Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC), North Guwahati, and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGHRIMS), Shillong.

Prosthesis development in India faces many challenges. Highly functional mobility for amputees requires devices with advanced features which are expansive and cannot be afforded by many. Further, affordable prosthetics that are available in the market have many functional limitations. In addition, the Indian lifestyle and uneven terrain require prosthetics with specifications unique to India, which are not widely available in the market. A team led by Prof S Kanagaraj, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, set out to tackle these issues. Prototypes of the models developed by this research team are currently undergoing trials.

"The knee joint developed by our team has a spring assisted deep squat mechanism, which helps to use Indian toilet system more comfortably; the knee rotating mechanism helps to have cross legged sitting," said Professor S. Kanagaraj, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, in a statement.

"The locking mechanism helps to reduce the fear of falling of patients while walking in an unknown terrain; adjustable link length in a knee helps to have either more stability or easy flexing depending on age and requirement of the patients. Overall, the knee joint is designed to meet the Indian lifestyle which other products fail to fulfil." The prosthetic leg has been tested as per international standard loading condition up to 100 kg body weight. Cost of around Rs 25,000 is ensured using the technology.

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