Last week Mo Ali was fitted with a new 3D printed device called a ‘Hero Gauntlet’. The 3D printed fingers strap on to his palm and are controlled by his wrist motion, enabling Mo to experience gripping with fingers for the first time since he lost four fingers at the age of six while messing around in the kitchen as his mum was preparing food. 

The 40-year old from Brighton was able to use his new artificial fingers to help him service his bike’s brakes, secure his helmet, and hold both handlebars. Mo said: “I love bikes. Cycling, motorbikes, everything to do with bikes. In the past, I used to use a bike glove, stuff it with tissue and grip it around the handlebars so I could have better control of steering. Now with the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something, I know it’s not going anywhere.”

Mo says he has waited 15 years for a device that can offer him some additional function; “Only recently, I was prescribed a prosthetic hook on the NHS that was operated by my shoulder to open and close. It was so heavy and uncomfortable, and got in the way. I stopped using it after a day.”  

Growing up in the 90s, Mo was heavily bullied for having a partial hand, so much so that it still affects him in his 40s “throughout my teens I coped with my disability by simply hiding it. Even now when I’m stepping out of the house, what I’m wearing to hide my limb difference is a conscious decision. When I put the Hero Gauntlet on, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide. It’s an instant confidence boost.” 

The Hero Gauntlet was custom built for Mo’s amputation using 3D scanning and 3D printing  “We’ve had so many requests from the limb difference community to design and develop a partial hand solution that offers function and comfort for all day wear. It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have a positive physical and emotional impact on Mo’s life.” Commented Samantha Payne, COO, Co-founder at Open Bionics. 

The Hero Gauntlet is a brand new device launched by Open Bionics for partial hand amputees. The company hopes that NHS England will adopt this technology so that all partial hand amputees in the UK can improve function without sacrificing form. 

If you have a below-elbow or partial hand limb difference and interested in trying the Hero Gauntlet, sign up here: https://openbionics.com/hero-gauntlet/ 

How does it work?

The Hero Gauntlet is designed for patients with partial hand amputations or congenital limb differences including those who have lost one or more full fingers. The Hero Gauntlet is a body-powered device, controlled by the movement of your wrist. If you flex your wrist, the fingers close, if you extend your wrist, the fingers open. The wrist design also allows radial and ulnar deviation, enhancing your range of motion and maximising freedom of movement.