First 3D-printed artificial arm for a girl from Vranje

A girl from Vranje (4) will get the first 3D-printed artificial arm in Serbia. Thanks to cooperation between scientists from the region and the world, the child will be able to ride a bike or pick up physical objects, despite being born without a part of the right forearm. The experts intend to also enable her to write as well.

The prosthetic device was made in Novi Sad, at the iDEAlab of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, and the idea came from the same lab in Zenica, which is a pioneer in making these types of orthopedic devices.

– By connecting with the global community which develops 3D models of prosthetic devices and through the Enabling the Future platform, the first designs were made, which were then modified and realized in Zenica. After this, we were contacted by the family from Vranje – says Vladimir Todorovic, the head of iDEAlab.

The first 3D-printed artificial arm was then made at the lab in Novi Sad. It was sent to Vranje and the authors are now eagerly awaiting the reaction of the girl and her family.

Dr Dejan Movrin, an assistant professor and the head of the project, notes that the Department of Production Mechanics and iDEAlab own the most modern 3D-printing devices. The arm was produced using the technology of stereolithography, which involves a laser which hardens liquid resin.

– There's a 3D community which models and prints objects from which we took the arm model. We changed and improved more than a half of its features, especially when it comes to disposable elements, so that parents can do it too, without our help – Movrin says.

What's iDEAlab?

The iDEAlab was realized through the TEMPUS program of the European Union between 2013 and 2017 with the University of Novi Sad as the carrier. Afterwards, six centers of applied science were created – in Novi Sad, Subotica, Zrenjanin, Zenica, Banjaluka and Podgorica. They cooperate with numerous medical institutions.

Fakultet tehničkih nauka Univerziteta u Novom Sadu

Faculty of Technical Sciences Novi Sad

University of Novi Sad

iDEAlab

Department for Production Mechanics

Vladimir Todorovic

Dejan Movrin

first 3D printed artificial arm

orthopedic devices

3D prosthetic models

Enabling the Future web platform

3D printing devices

sterolithography

resin hardening laser

3D community

modeling and printing

TEMPUS program

applied science center Serbia

applied science center B&H

applied science center Republika Srpska

applied science center Montenegro