Amputee gets world’s first whole 3D bionic arm

By Tom Bevan

An amputee has become the first in the world to be fitted with a new full-length 3D bionic arm — so he can grip coffee and walk his dog.

Praveen Gowtham, 43, had his arm amputated at just 8 days old after a complication at birth cut off blood supply.

Surgeons had no choice but to remove his right limb from above the elbow to prevent gangrene, the life-threatening death of body tissue.

But after more than four decades struggling and adapting to his limitations, Gowtham has just become the first in the world to be fitted with a new 3D-printed bionic arm system for above-elbow amputees.

And within an hour of being fitted, the physicist from the Bronx, New York, was holding his dog's leash with both hands, gripping tools at his workbench, and opening a soda can without spilling unaided for the first time in his life.

He was pictured enjoying his new arm by walking his pooch while carrying a coffee.

He said: "I'm so excited to use this daily. Even giving my dog a treat is easier, and because the whole solution is lightweight, I don't feel the strain on my shoulder.

"It's the small day-to-day things. Being able to lift a box off a shelf, open a door without having to put everything down on the floor first, or just be able to open a can of soda.

"There is no latency from the muscle flexes in my arm to the bionic hand responding with the correct grip mode."

Having spent most of his childhood and adult life prosthetic-free, Gowtham has learned to adapt. But as a physicist who machines steel, solders circuit boards, and builds complex electronics, one arm has never quite been enough.

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"There are moments in my work where I could really do with three arms," he added.

When prosthetic technology began to advance, Gowtham started exploring what might be available to make everyday life a little easier.

He then got in touch with Open Bionics, a company based in Bristol in the U.K., about the lightweight, 3D-printed Hero FLEX.

At the time, the technology was still in development for above-elbow amputees.

Gowtham waited a year, and this week became the first person in the world to be fitted with the Hero FLEX socket for above-elbow amputees.

The model is a 3D-printed arm that is compatible with Gowtham's new 3D-printed bionic ‘Hero PRO’ hand.

He added: "This system is the lightest option I have ever worn. It's so different from anything I have tried before. I love that it's modular.

"You can attach an activity-specific attachment for hobbies or chores like gardening, then clip in a bionic hand for two-handed activities, like walking the dog and carrying a coffee cup."

Daniel Green, upper limb prosthetist at the Open Bionics New York clinic said: “Seeing Praveen walk down the street confident, coffee in one hand and dog leash in the other, after being fitted at our Midtown Manhattan clinic, is exactly what drives the work we do here at Open Bionics.

"It's the result of our engineering and clinical teams pushing to bring an already favored solution to a wider limb difference population.”

Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said: "Expanding Hero FLEX for above-elbow amputees means this technology is now accessible for the above-elbow amputee community who can most benefit from a lightweight, modular system with advanced bionics.

"We’re thrilled Praveen is the first person to take one home."