KNEEMO project kick-off
Amsterdam, April 28th 2014
Dr Jari Pallari, Research and Development Manager, Peacocks Medical Group Ltd
Contents
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Peacocks Medical Group
Additive manufacturing
Why additive manufacturing
Peacocks role in the project
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Peacocks Medical Group
Established in 1903, Peacocks
Medical Group has been supplying
medical equipment and services for
over 100 years
A family-run group based in the North
East of England with clinics across the
UK
Peacocks delivers both services and
orthotic equipment to the NHS and
the private sector
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Additive manufacturing
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Additive manufacturing
Austin American Newspaper article dating from 1987
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Functional integration
• Imitating the functionality of separate parts/ materials in a
single part through “clever” design
• Making complex parts is not an issue…
…designing complex parts is
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Main advantages of Additive Manufacturing over traditional methods
• Easy to manufacture bespoke parts
• Good fit and comfort easy to
achieve – good design still needed
• Automatic manufacturing
• Digital design environment
• Engineering not craft
Functional integration
Rogers B, Bosker GW, Crawford RH, Faustini MC, Neptune RR, Walden G, Gitter AJ, "Advanced trans-tibial
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socket fabrication using selective laser sintering", Prosthet Orthot Int. 2007 Mar;31(1):88-100.
7
Why is functional integration important?
The orthotic design takes place in a digital environment:
• It can be controlled very precisely
• It can be modeled and optimised
• It can be automated
• Huge possibilities for personalisation
Precise placement of external components.
• Reinforcements, hinges, sensors,
activity monitors…
All of this adds value and differentiates products
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Engineering principles can also be applied to orthotics design
Dynamic
modelling
Finite Element
Analysis
• Quantify
behaviourfor
of specific
the muscoskeletal
Topology the
optimisation
loading system
conditions (pathologies)
• Optimised topology can be directly
manufactured
Quality and process control
• Most processes very complex
• Material recycling further complicates
operation
• Quality systems must be developed to control
the output
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Peacocks - Role in the project
Our main role is in making and developing the actual braces taking
in all the scientific/clinical and analytical work done in the
consortium:
• Prototype knee brace and foot orthotics designs and devices in
WP6 (Deliverable 7.7)
• An intervention study will be carried out by ER 4 (PCK) to
establish if the new devices are working as expected.
• 1 ER for 24MO, starts at month 12
• Also work in WP’s 1, 4, 6, 7, 8
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Peacocks - Role in the project - training
Transferable skills training (B.3.1.2):
• Entrepreneurship
• Innovation,
• Intellectual property issues and
• Product development from initial idea to market placement.
Training events & individual secondments:
• Secondments -> S3: CAD-CAM knee brace and foot orthotic design and
manufacture
• Technical training -> TT7: Training in orthotics/knee brace CAD and additive
manufacturing
• Research training at an individual level -> RT15: New generation tailored knee
braces for KOA (ER4)
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Contact information
jari.pallari@peacocks.net
Paul.charlton@peacocks.net
Peacocks Medical Group
Benfield Business Park
Benfield Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 4NQ
0191 276 9600
www.peacocks.net