Man whose hand was crushed by meat grinder becomes first person to get 3D-printed bionic fingers

A man has opened up about how a 3D-printed robotic hand has changed his life.

Mo Ali, 40, had to have four of his fingers amputated after an accident in the kitchen as a child which saw him get his hand stuck in a meat grinder.

Keen cyclist Mo experienced bullying, as well as the physical difficulties which came after the amputation.

The lack of dexterity as a result of the accident made many aspects of Mo's life difficult, including indulging in cycling.

Now however Mo has become the recipient of a high-tech prosthetic hand which has seen him regain huge amounts of dexterity.

The robotic hand is called the 'Hero Gauntlet', and was designed as a prosthesis specifically for people who have had part of their hand amputated.

It was developed by UK company Open Bionics, and allows Mo to regain a lot of the dexterity he lost in the accident.

OpenBionics/SWNS

This has helped him be able to do things like dress himself more easily using the device.

And of course, it also means that he can get back into his cycling.

The device has also given Mo a massive boost to his confidence.

He said: "I love bikes, cycling and everything to do with them.

"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."

Mo said he had also been given a prosthetic on the NHS, but it hadn't worked for him as it was very uncomfortable and heavy.

"It was operated by my shoulder to open and close," he said. "It was so heavy and uncomfortable – and it got in the way. I stopped using it after a day."

OpenBionics/SWNS

He went on to describe how the device has been an enormous help to him since he started using it.

Mo said: "With the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something I know it’s not going anywhere."

Mo went on to say how it helped him to become confident enough to stop hiding his disability.

He said: "I coped with my disability by simply hiding it… now, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide."

Open Bionics co-founder Samantha Payne said: "We’ve had so many requests to design and develop a functional partial hand prosthesis for all-day wear.

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