Innovative medical device combats lumbar pain

Posted On 28 November 2018 By Laura Reeves
Japet Exoskeleton
Protolabs were able to Injection Mould the support parts of the exoskeleton, located between the micro-motors along with the encapsulation housing.

French start up, Japet Medical Devices, have created a truly innovative rehabilitation exoskeleton (Atlas), designed to relieve lumbar pain.

So how does Atlas work? The exoskeleton is made of two belts separated by micro-motors and has two functions: to apply traction on the vertebral column to relieve pain, then accompany the patient's movements so that they can strengthen their muscles pain-free through physical exercise. By allowing the patient to resume regular exercise, stimulated by a fun training interface, Atlas has broken the vicious circle of pain - inactivity - loss of muscle mass caused by lumbar pain and fits perfectly into the new treatment regimens recommended by the medical profession.

The challenge?

The company faced a huge challenge when it came to the manufacture of their revolutionary design, as they needed to produce the support parts and the encapsulation housing in good-quality materials & with the tolerances of mass production, all in less than a month. 

The efficiency of our ProtoQuote software and the design for manufacture (DFM) assessment meant that any defects were eliminated prior to moulding. This meant that in just 2 weeks, we manufactured no less than 10 moulds, injected and delivered the polyamide and silicon parts, for a lower cost than other suppliers.

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