A research team performed benchtop mechanical tests on a prototype prosthetic finger called the Point Digit II. During testing, the device was cycled over 250,000 times, representing three years of use, without an adverse event. The device also withstood over 300 lb. of force applied to the distal phalange.
The analysis, which used multiple prototypes to confirm the ability to reliably reproduce the device, included a static load test, a static mounting tear-out test, a dynamic load test, and a dynamic cycle test.
The prototypes used additive manufacturing, a unique mechanism design, and clinically relevant design features, according to the study’s authors.
The open-access study, “The Point Digit II: Mechanical Design and Testing of a Ratcheting Prosthetic Finger,” was published in Military Medicine.
