Traditional prosthetic hands can cost up to $50,000 and require replacement as children grow, putting them out of reach for many families. For individuals born without fingers or hands, or who lose them due to injury, affordable prosthetic options are often limited by cost, access, and long wait times. Students at the Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine (EnMed) are working to change that.
This year, EnMed students launched a new chapter of e-NABLE, a global network that uses open-source designs and 3D printing to create low-cost, customized prosthetic devices. The EnMed chapter will focus on delivering free, upper-limb prostheses to the Houston community while refining the design and fitting process through EnMed’s resources.
One Student’s Vision for Accessible Prosthetics
The EnMed chapter was founded by Class of 2029 student Eric Gallagher, whose interest in accessible, affordable prosthetics began well before medical school. As an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame, Gallagher joined an e-NABLE chapter and helped design a distal phalanx prosthesis for a recipient. This experience reshaped how he viewed the role of engineering in medicine.
“It showed me how engineering could be leveraged to supercharge medicine with cost-effective solutions that can quickly improve quality of life,” Gallagher said.
The EnMed e-NABLE chapter’s mission is straightforward: to empower children and adults who were born without, or have lost fingers or hands, by providing affordable prosthetic devices based on open-source e-NABLE designs. Its long-term vision is to deliver free, 3D-printed prosthetics while improving the standard e-NABLE fitting and manufacturing process through EnMed’s technical capabilities.
How 3D Prosthetics Work
3D-printed prosthetics are created using digital scans or measurements of a recipient’s limb, allowing each device to be customized for fit, comfort, and function. Using open-source designs from e-NABLE, students resize and print the prosthetic components with thermoplastics, then assemble them into mechanical devices. When the wrist or elbow bends, it pulls internal lines that cause the fingers to close, allowing the user to grasp and release objects.
This rapid, low-cost design and production process makes the prosthetics easy to adjust or replace over time, which is an important advantage for growing children. Looking ahead, the EnMed e-NABLE chapter aims to refine existing designs and develop new solutions that can accommodate a broader range of limb differences and functional needs.
EnMed Innovation Center: The Technology Behind the Mission
When Gallagher first walked into the EnMed Innovation Center (EIC), the connection was immediate. With rows of 3D printers, a laser scanner, machine tools, and electronics throughout the space, he saw the potential to bring e-NABLE’s mission directly to the local community. The space houses advanced 3D printers, laser-scanning technology, and fabrication tools that allow students to design, test, and produce prosthetic devices entirely on-site. This integrated environment enables rapid iteration and refinement, giving the EnMed e-NABLE chapter the ability to deliver customized solutions while continually improving design and fit.
“We have everything necessary to create affordable prosthetics that can be easily replaced as children grow or used as cost-efficient alternatives for adults,” he added.
Student-Led Teams Designing Custom Prosthetic Solutions
Beyond the technology, Gallagher said the people at EnMed made launching the chapter possible. He worked alongside fellow founding officers Sammy Tobeh, Oluwadurotimi Agbesanwa, Amirah Alam, Abdus Sabour Shaik, Benjamin Langford, and Joshua Robert to build the organization from the ground up.
“We are in a unique position as medical students with backgrounds in engineering to provide something truly invaluable to our community — smiles on kids’ faces,” Shaik said. “Custom-made 3D-printed prosthetics allow them to do all they love and more,” Shaik echoed.
Each team will consist of five to six students who work with a single recipient at a time, designing and manufacturing a device under the guidance of chapter leadership throughout the fitting process.
In its first year, the chapter aims to fit one to two recipients with customized prostheses. Students also plan to collaborate with physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) health care teams to ensure personalized care and appropriate fittings.
Goals and Future Innovation in Prosthetic Design
Looking ahead, the group hopes to lay the groundwork for new, affordable prosthetic designs, including myoelectric and mechanical solutions, while refining manufacturing workflows using tools such as 3D laser scanning and advanced printing materials.
“e-NABLE is the heart of what EnMed stands for,” Robert said. “Using our engineering mindset and medical training to serve people in ways that matter right now reminds us that innovation isn’t abstract — it’s deeply human. This is why we are becoming physicianeers.”
The chapter is open to all EnMed students, regardless of prior experience. For its pilot phase, which aims to launch this spring, one recipient team will design and fit an upper-limb prosthesis for a single recipient. The chapter plans to expand to multiple teams and recipients following the pilot.
For Gallagher, the mission remains simple: Take the tools inside the EIC and use them where they matter most.
“There’s so much potential here,” he said. “And we’re just getting started.”
How to Get Involved or Request Prosthetics
Individuals interested in receiving a 3D-printed prosthetic can submit a request through our website at https://joshdrobert.github.io/enable/ or by emailing enmedenable@gmail.com.
