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Best Inventions of 2009: The $20 Knee

By on November 16, 2009 in Inventions

TIME‘s picks for the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year, we’ll feature some of the ones we find interesting.

Tens of thousands of amputees in the developing world wear an inexpensive prosthetic called the Jaipur Foot. But poor patients who lose a knee joint have few options: a titanium replacement can cost $10,000, and crude models don’t work very well.

Now a team of Stanford engineering students has designed a knee that’s not only dirt cheap — just $20 — but also mimics the natural joint’s movements. Developed with the Jaipur Foot group, the JaipurKnee is made of self-lubricating, oil-filled nylon and is both flexible and stable, even on irregular terrain.

The device is being tested in India; more than 300 people have been fitted so far.

The Jaipur Knee comprises five pieces of plastic and four nuts and bolts. It requires no special tools and takes just a few hours to manufacture.

Photo by virtualworldlets.ne.

disabled medical

Rich Whittle has added 6,226 posts to Business Opportunities Weblog.

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  • http://www.remotiondesigns.org Erika

    Thanks for the post about the JaipurKnee! Our designers at remotion designs are currently working on an elbow joint, too!

  • http://wahm.business-opportunities.biz Angela Shupe

    I also think it is great that they were able to come up with something that affordable which will also do the job. If what Erika said it is true, I can’t wait to see how far they are able to go in helping those in need.

    I read the whole section on the Best Inventions of 2009 in the magazine. They definitely dug up some very innovative products for this year. I especially liked the race car and the light bulb.

  • http://www.page360.net irfan

    this is great and the best invention hope many other invention will help people and they will avalibale at cheap.

    Irfan

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