Brighton man gets new fingers after meat grinder incident

Mo Ali, from Brighton, was only six when he had the accident while “messing around” in the kitchen as his mum was preparing food.

He has now been fitted with a novel 3D printed device called the Hero Gauntlet, created by British robotics company Open Bionics.

The 3D printed fingers strap on to his palm and are controlled by his wrist motion, enabling Mo to experience gripping for the first time since his accident.

The 40-year-old was fitted with the artificial fingers last week and has been able to do everyday things like carry shopping and hold coffee cups.

Mo's new fingers (Image: Openbionics)

Mo, who was badly bullied over his hand while growing up, is now able to walk down the road without feeling he has to hide it.

He is also able to ride his bike without having to stuff tissues in a glove.

“I love bikes,” he said. “Cycling, motorbikes, everything to do with bikes. In the past, I used to use a bike glove, stuff it with tissue and grip it around the handlebars so I could have better control of steering.

"Now with the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something, I know it’s not going anywhere.”

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Mo said he has waited 15 years for a device that can offer him some additional function.

“Only recently, I was prescribed a prosthetic hook on the NHS that was operated by my shoulder to open and close,” he said.

Mo is passionate about biking (Image: Openbionics)

“It was so heavy and uncomfortable and got in the way. I stopped using it after a day.” 

Mo said he has been wearing his new 3D printed fingers with pride all day, every day.

“Putting the Hero Gauntlet on has become a part of getting ready and dressing up for the day, it’s lightweight and comfortable to wear from morning to night,” he said.

“Throughout my teens I coped with my disability by simply hiding it.

“Even now when I’m stepping out of the house, what I'm wearing to hide my limb difference is a conscious decision. When I put the Hero Gauntlet on, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide. It’s an instant confidence boost.”

The Hero Gauntlet was custom built for Mo’s amputation using 3D scanning and 3D printing by Bristol-based health tech start-up Open Bionics. 

Mo wears his new fingers everyday (Image: Openbionics)

“We’ve had so many requests from the limb difference community to design and develop a partial hand solution that offers function and comfort for all day wear,” said Samantha Payne, chief operating officer and co-founder at Open Bionics.

“It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have a positive physical and emotional impact on Mo’s life.”  

The Hero Gauntlet is a new device for partial hand amputees. The company hopes that NHS England will adopt the technology so that all partial hand amputees in the UK can improve function without sacrificing form.