Title

Economic potential for distributed manufacturing of adaptive aids for arthritis patients n the U.S.

Authors

Nicole Gallup, Michigan Technological University
Jennifer Bow, Michigan Technological University
Joshua M. Pearce, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-6-2018

Abstract

By 2040, more than a quarter of the U.S. population will have diagnosed arthritic conditions. Adults with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions earn less than average yet have medical care expenditures that are over 12% of average household income. Adaptive aids can help arthritis patients continue to maintain independence and quality of life; however, their high costs limit accessibility for older people and the poor. One method used for consumer price reduction is distributed manufacturing with 3-D printers. In order to assess if such a method would be financially beneficial, this study evaluates the techno-economic viability of distributed manufacturing of adaptive aids for arthritis patients. Twenty freely accessible designs for 3-D printable adaptive aids were successfully fabricated on low-cost desktop 3-D printers and performed their functions adequately. The financial savings averaged >94% compared to commercially-available products. Overall, twenty adaptive aids were printed for US$20 of plastic; while on average, each adaptive aid would save over US$20. As printing a tiny subset of the adaptive aids needed by a single patient would recover the full capital and operational costs of a low-cost 3-D printer, it can be concluded that there is considerable potential for distributed manufacturing to assist arthritis patients.

Publisher's Statement

©2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Article deposited here in compliance with publisher policies. Publisher's version of record: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3040089

Publication Title

Geriatrics

Recommended Citation

Gallup, N., Bow, J., & Pearce, J. M. (2018). Economic potential for distributed manufacturing of adaptive aids for arthritis patients n the U.S.. Geriatrics, 3(4). http://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3040089
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/materials_fp/195

Version

Publisher's PDF