Washington is one of the key centers in the world for cerebral palsy research, clinical innovation and education.

REDMOND, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Washington Families to benefit from New 3D Technology for Children living with Cerebral Palsy

Diamo Parvez was born with cerebral palsy and passed away from complications when he was nine years old. During his life his parents were constantly struggling to get him the braces and supports he needed to support his body. They have channelled the pain of their loss into building a better way to make them and provide care to all families living with Cerebral Palsy. Diamo's arms and legs were paralysed and he had very little control of his head. He needed a back brace, hand splints and ankle braces - technically known as orthoses - to prevent him suffering pain.

Getting a brace, though, is a drawn-out process, involving multiple appointments. It involves using plaster casts and then a trial-and-error process of fitting and refitting and it often never fits.”

"Sometimes there could be half an inch of space and this poor fitting would cause him to have sores and bruising so we'd have to start again and hope to keep him still enough for the mould to be accurate," Samiya says. The whole process could take as long as 3 months - by which point Diamo had inevitably grown.

Diamo passed away 9 years ago this year. A year later, Naveed attended a tech conference and saw someone making 3D scans of old steam trains in order to reproduce parts with a 3D printer. "The new parts were so accurate that the scratches in the paintwork of the original were perfectly reflected in the print," he says. He began to think about how that technology could translate into making orthoses. "I had a lightbulb moment - not just because of the technology but because of the realisation that all that pain could be turned to good," he says.

Within a year they'd created a prototype and with help from crowdfunding they set up a health technology company named after their son with a perfect Italian translation, Andiamo. It means "let's go" in Italian.

Andiamo does not use plaster casts. Instead, an iphone is swept over a special sock covering the child's leg for between 60 and 90 seconds.The brace therapist then uploads the scan onto Andiamo’s AI led digital platform, Avanti, before entering the brace prescription. The aim is to reduce waiting times from months to 48 hours. So far they've got it down to two weeks. The Avanti platform produces ankle braces that are a better fit, and combined with the use of lighter, stronger materials results in a finished product that is less bulky, thinner and less than half the weight of traditional braces. This leads to improved stability, improved balance and improved confidence for the children.” Naveed says.

Fourteen-year-old Sahara - one of Andiamo's first clients - can attest to this. The Andiamo AFO "feels great, very lightweight", she says, compared with her old one, which now feels "thick and heavy" by comparison. Lifting her feet is now easier - and as a result it's also easier for her to keep her balance. Sahara's mum, Salome, used to take the old brace out with her when shopping for shoes, to see which would be big enough to accommodate its cumbersome shape.

"Children with traditional ankle braces have that Frankenstein appearance - skinny legs with massive feet because they're made to be very big and bulky with extra room for the foot to grow," she says.

Naveed explains that the state of Washington is one of the key centers in the world for cerebral palsy research, clinical innovation and education. “Its little known locally, but Seattle Childrens Hospital and UW are world famous for Cerebral Palsy with a number of innovations being invented here over the last 50 years. It also has a brilliant base of knowledgeable therapists that we can build digital services for.”

Families can be seen by Andiamo therapists at a number of locations close to Seattle. Please call 888 868 0868 or email families@andiamo.io

Hugh Sheridan
Andiamo
+1 8577770469
hugh@andiamo.io
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