3D printing helps young entrepreneur’s therapy device blossom

Entrepreneur and winner of Innovate UK's 2023 Young Innovators award, Orlando Ely, has turned to additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing, to bring a device that could revolutionise the way people recover from strokes and cognitive impairment a significant step closer to launch.

The therapy tool, called Blossom, was designed by Orlando after two close family members suffered strokes and, as part of the rehabilitation process, required a tool to improve and practice their fine motor skills in a creative and engaging way.

He is now developing a 3D-printed prototype of the nature-inspired product in collaboration with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde and part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, which has been tested in clinical consultation and by users from dementia groups. The project was also supported with £15,000 of funding from Innovate UK.

Blossom is a hand-held therapy device featuring three buildable flowers designed to challenge fine motor skills and enhance cognitive function. Users can practice arranging the petals and stamen, with each flower increasing in difficulty. Its design, incorporating various petal layouts, encourages users to engage both hands and utilise 16 different pinch and grasp exercises. Blossom uniquely offers the evidence-based benefits of patterns, a re-connection with nature, and a creative outlet, all of which boost mood and motivation.  

The NMIS Design Engineering and Additive Manufacturing teams provided comprehensive support to Orlando, transforming his vision into a viable product through detailed 3D modelling to optimise the design. This included evaluating and selecting appropriate materials and manufacturing processes to achieve the desired appearance and functional requirements.

Various manufacturing techniques were evaluated, including injection moulding and additive manufacturing processes like Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Material Extrusion (MEX). PBF proved most suitable because of its ability to produce strong, durable, and complex parts with a textured finish, which is crucial for the tool's usability.  

Additionally, the team introduced design enhancements like a dimple fastening method to further elevate the sensory experience. The 3D printed prototypes of the developed design have allowed Orlando to engage in further user testing and gain feedback on the changes and selection of manufacturing method.

Orlando Ely said:

With assistance from NMIS to evaluate different manufacturing methods, I'm now well positioned to approach a partner that can manufacture the product at scale. Based on user feedback, my next phase will focus on refining the design, enhancing aesthetic appearance, and expanding the range of therapeutic applications.

"Blossom’s nature-inspired design sets it apart from other therapy tools on the market, which can sometimes appear juvenile. The tool combines the beauty of flowers and their phyllotactic patterns – the regular arrangement of leaves and petals on a plant stem – providing both cognitive and sensory stimulation. This activates brain regions associated with reward, encouraging repeated use, essential to the tool’s effectiveness. The design offers a fresh, versatile approach to this kind of repetitive, but essential, therapy.

“So many people could benefit from Blossom. A sense that life is worth living is key to people getting better and I believe that Blossom can help with this."

Pritty Mathew, assistant design engineer at NMIS, said,

Working with Orlando to bring Blossom to life has been inspiring. It exemplifies how innovative ideas, combined with advanced manufacturing technologies, can lead to new products that make a real difference.

"This collaboration underscores our role in assisting growing businesses to get the best from their future manufacturing partners by identifying optimal approaches and materials. Orlando first created this device using an at-home 3D printer, and now, with our support, it can be developed for commercial scale production. It's projects like these that showcase the practical benefits of modern manufacturing techniques and highlight the potential for significant improvements they can make to patient recovery solutions."