The amazing open source prosthetics initiative

One of the first things people say when you mention the option of open source drug development is that drug development is way more complicated, specialized and different from the so successful open source software development. Maybe this is true, but I refuse to believe that this means 'it can't be done'. Of course it is not the same. And of course it is a highly specialized field (which software development by the way is as well). But the fact that something is different does not mean it is impossible.

To demonstrate the possibility of open source medication development just take a look at the amazingly cool open prosthetics project. This is how they describe themselves:

"The Open Prosthetics Project is producing useful innovations in the field of prosthetics and freely sharing the designs. This project is an open source collaboration between users, designers and funders with the goal of making our creations available for anyone to use and build upon. Our hope is to use this and our complementary sites to create a core group of “lead users,” and to speed up and amplify the impact of their innovations in the industry. Our current list of active projects is available on the wiki. Please contribute or suggest your own."

According to Greg Milliken, ceo of Alibre Inc (the provider of CAD software to this project):

"The group is basically driving “open source” design. Medical product designers can post new ideas for prosthetic devices as CAD files on the OPP web site, which are then available to the public free of charge. Prosthetic users or other designers can download the CAD data, customize or improve upon the prosthesis, and then repost the new design on the site. Users are free to take 3D models to a fabricator and have the hardware built for less than the cost of buying a manufactured limb."

It is just a great initiative to speed up the development of prosthetics, make them more widely available and just design better, more user friendly prostehtics. Who said open source in the medical world does not work?!