The agreement will allow them to produce over 200 prosthetic devices to help disabled children from low-income households. The founders of both organizations belong to the Chileans Creating Future Network.
3D technology became part of our daily lives several years ago, and can be seen in the production of accessories like headphones, electronic devices and even food. It is also used to develop more complex items such as medical devices. Two organizations have made an important announcement in the latter field.
Copper3D and Fundación Prótesis 3D, both institutions created by Chileans that focus on the use of this new technology, have joined forces to produce copper prosthetics and other medical devices. Thanks to a donation of 75 kilograms of antimicrobial material to Prótesis 3D, which Copper3D is using to manufacture recyclable and antimicrobial items for space travel, they hope to create an initial batch of 200 antimicrobial prosthetics for children from low-income households.
The founders of the two organizations met through the Chileans Creating Future Network, which Imagen de Chile launched in April 2021.
“This is a very important donation for our foundation because it allows us to take our prosthetics to the next level. Copper3D materials are antimicrobial, which means they can be used effectively in contact with the skin on both children and adults,” observed Daniela Retamales, the founder and Executive Director of Fundación Prótesis 3D.
Daniela also notes that some of the material could be used in 3D printing technology training workshops as part of the “la libertad de emprender sueños 3D” (the freedom to dream in 3D) program, in which young detained persons have the opportunity to learn about making prosthetic devices.
Copper3D reports that this partnership is the forerunner of more extensive collaboration with entities in Chile and elsewhere in the region beginning in 2022.
“It is an honor for us to be able to collaborate on this type of initiative, particularly when they are led by people with Daniela’s level of professional skills and human qualities. We will create more of these partnerships in Chile and throughout the region in 2022. We now see that 3D printing has made a great deal of progress in the field of healthcare, and that we can work with organizations like Fundación Prótesis 3D to have a significant impact at the technological, clinical and social levels,” observes Copper3D Innovation Director Daniel Martínez.
