Heatleaf: Developing a wearable device to improve amputees' lives

People who have suffered an amputation often experience discomfort due to a lack of circulation. The resulting cold felt by the amputee can be severe, debilitating and is theorised as a possible cause of phantom limb syndrome. With the support of the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Heatleaf Limited has developed a wearable heating device incorporating conductive thread for everyday use to offer valuable pain relief to amputees. Easy to maintain and comfortable to wear, it's an innovation that can deliver real change to the lives of millions of amputees. In support of this product development, CPI designed and utilised digital anatomy materials on a Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy PolyJet 3D Printer to 3D print a lower limb amputee phantom with embedded temperature sensors, presenting a novel way to test wearable devices safely. The result was a working proof of concept prototype heated sock which has been validated against basic requirements using the smart 3D printed phantom.