Image Processing of 3D Scans for Upper Limb Prosthesis of the War-Wounded

The United Nations published a report in 2017 claiming that a significant number of Syrian refugees interviewed had undergone amputations as a result of injuries sustained in the recent Syrian war. Many of those are still awaiting fittings for a limb prosthesis. However, acquisition of patient data necessary for device fitting can be challenging due to restrictive security protocols to enter refugee camps and limited infrastructure and resources currently available in settlements of displaced persons, refugee camps, and conflict zones. However, these areas gather large numbers of war-affected individuals. As a result, we propose a novel image processing approach for obtaining high-quality upper-limb models using low-cost commercial imaging sensors. The methodology described in this paper utilizes open-access image processing software tools to produce manifold meshes to visually represent the original limb by relying on geometric properties preserved in the raw scans. By developing this procedure, the goal is to streamline the fabrication of anthropomorphic upper-limb prosthetics and to improve healthcare accessibility for affected individuals in difficult-to-reach areas.