For
more information:
Wohlers
Associates, Inc.
970-225-0086
Fax 970-225-2027
Email
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RP4Baghdad Completes First Leg Prosthetic
BAGHDAD, IRAQ, February 15, 2006—The
humanitarian project RP4Baghdad completed and delivered its first leg
prosthetic for a below-the-knee amputee in Baghdad, Iraq last month. The
project is being supported by organizations in the rapid prototyping and
manufacturing industry including Materialise, Medical Modeling LLC,
Stratasys, Z Corporation, REALADI, 3D Systems, EOS, and Wohlers
Associates.
RP4Baghdad,
launched in May 2005 by Wilfried Vancraen of Materialise, has focused on
serious cases involving head injuries among civilians in Iraq. Many
medical models have been produced and shipped to Baghdad to support teams
of doctors with complex reconstructive surgeries of the head and face. To
date, the initiative has supported 27 cases, many of which are underway.
Last
year, the RP4Baghdad began to explore the possibility of also producing
leg prosthetics for many of the hundreds of unfortunate Iraqi citizens. In
August 2005, more than 300 civilians were on a waiting list for an
artificial leg at one of three medical centers in Baghdad. It is believed
that scores of others have not registered for a prosthetic because of the
extensive backlog.
REALADI
of St. Charles, Missouri produced the first leg prosthetic for the
individual in Iraq. The company, which started out as a Boeing incubator
and spun out in January 2005, provides digitally driven product
development services to the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries.
REALADI has developed a proprietary process for producing leg prosthetics
using additive fabrication technology. Bill Macy of REALADI (http://www.realadi.com),
the lead for the company’s prosthetic work, is pursuing sources of
funding for the work in Iraq.
For
more information on RP4Baghdad, visit http://www.rp4baghdad.org.
Wohlers Associates is a 19-year old consulting firm that provides technical and strategic advice on the new developments and trends in rapid product development and additive fabrication for design, prototyping, and manufacturing applications.
###
