Copli Technologies has developed a sleek, durable, and cost-effective prosthetic leg that can be easily self-fitted at home, specially designed for children and adolescents with lower-limb amputations. The socket can be easily molded and re-molded in less than an hour using hot water, without requiring medical professionals, training, or specialist equipment.
The vast majority of the 10 million people with amputations living in developing countries do not have access to prosthetics. Aside from the often unattainable costs, sizing and fitting of prosthetics requires multiple visits with professionals at a healthcare center with specialized equipment before taking it home, as well as ongoing technical support to make adjustments as needed. Approximately 80% of this population live in remote, medically underserved areas without ready access to healthcare facilities and rehabilitation services. Low and lower-middle income countries generally lack the funds to expand healthcare budgets to adequately improve infrastructure or subsidize expensive assistive devices. This prevents the adoption of life-improving solutions that could break the cycle of poverty for those who need it most.
The Copli prosthetic’s dynamic sizing mechanism allows for extension of leg length and changeable foot sizes, so it can be adapted to grow with the child. It is robust enough to handle harsher environments and costs less than 10% of the price of conventional prosthetic legs. This makes it an ideal "secondary" prosthetic for all children, not just in the developing world, as it can be used in conditions that are not traditionally "prosthetic-friendly," such as at the beach or in the water.