3D Printing Pediatric Prosthetics: Changes For A Little Girl, And Much More

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/03/BestKate-e1643902557978.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:337;s:4:"file";s:35:"2014/03/BestKate-e1643902557978.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"BestKate-e1643902557978-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"BestKate-e1643902557978-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"BestKate-e1643902557978-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"BestKate-e1643902557978-554x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:554;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"BestKate-e1643902557978-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"BestKate-e1643902557978-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:269558;s:14:"optimized_size";i:197837;s:7:"percent";d:26.609999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:48:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:92560;s:14:"optimized_size";i:65749;s:7:"percent";d:28.969999999999999;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate-336x251.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26953;s:14:"optimized_size";i:20034;s:7:"percent";d:25.670000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:54339;s:14:"optimized_size";i:40574;s:7:"percent";d:25.329999999999998;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28408;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21266;s:7:"percent";d:25.140000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate-417x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37837;s:14:"optimized_size";i:28236;s:7:"percent";d:25.370000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/03/BestKate-355x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29461;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21978;s:7:"percent";d:25.399999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Dan Carsen 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Jessica Berkholtz carefully attaches her daughter Kate's plastic hand.
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:7:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:448;s:4:"file";s:12:"BestKate.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-336x251.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:251;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"BestKate-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-417x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:417;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-355x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:355;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"BestKate-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

)
1680738504 
1394841600
Jessica Berkholtz carefully attaches her daughter Kate's plastic hand.

Jessica Berkholtz carefully attaches her daughter Kate's plastic hand.

Dan Carsen , WBHM

90.3 WBHM Birmingham, Ala. — In Huntsville there’s a little girl who was born without fingers on one hand, but she now has an affordable prosthetic. Three-dimensional printing made it possible. That technology is spreading, which means her story is just one example of life-altering changes on the horizon. Dan Carsen has the national story, with previously unpublished photos below.

Two-year-old Kate Berkholtz warming up for gymnastics class at The Little Gym in Huntsville.
Different stages of both the development and the assembly of Kate’s prosthesis, at Huntsville’s Zero Point Frontiers Corp., where the project started.
The 3-D printer that made Kate’s prosthetics.
Looking down into where objects come into being. An extruder squirts liquid plastic according to precise coordinates. The plastic hardens, and boom — there’s a hand, or just about anything else.
Zero Point intern Shawn Betts — who’s done much of the work on the project — models a prosthetic.
Working toward the perfect fit.
Not 100% sold?
Sold. Kate ran off and played, happily.

 

Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed

The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.

Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?

The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.

Musher from Alabama is going for back-to-back Iditarod wins

Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year. He doesn't mind.

Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries

Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.

Auburn football player uses NIL funds to open a community hub in Birmingham

Jourdin Crawford, a freshman defensive lineman at Auburn, used earnings from a Name, Image, and Likeness deal to give back to his hometown.

Ivey commutes death sentence of inmate whose accomplice fired fatal shot

Charles “Sonny” Burton was sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building.

More Economy Coverage