A nonprofit start-up founded by University graduates is now selling its first product — low-cost, one-make-fits-all prosthetic arms — to people in developing countries.

The design studio, called bump, develops products for other nonprofits, which distribute them to those in need. Adam Booher, president of bump, said he is looking to rebrand the organization as an international project, which is why he changed its name from Illini Prosthetic Technologies to bump.

He said, “As much as we liked having the allegiance to our university, we felt that this new name, bump, was a much more natural growth and a much more appropriate name for a young organization that is seeking to be innovative and is seeking to give other nonprofits a bump or a boost in what they are able to do.”

Booher said the project began in 2008 when he and five other sophomore Engineering students sought to develop a prosthetic arm that would be affordable and not require a custom fit.

In 2010, the group traveled to Guatemala to test out several of their designs. While in Guatemala, the team noted faults in those designs, and, after several modifications, the team settled on its current Open Socket design in 2011.

That same year, the team traveled back to Guatemala to test out the existing plan and revise any final imperfections. The team finalized the design and began distribution at the beginning of November.

Richard Kesler, graduate student in bioengineering, has been bump’s director of biomechanics since its founding.

“I’ve always had an interest in helping those less fortunate and saw that there was a need for developing low-cost prosthetic devices,” Kesler said. “I came into Engineering at Illinois interested in designing medical devices and saw this as an amazing opportunity to combine my engineering education with real-world application in ways that make an impact on others’ lives.”

Bump’s Open Socket design doesn’t require a custom fit, but it operates the same way a custom-fit arm does.

“We have a plastic tunnel, and then we have a rigid-and-flexible, plastic-and-cloth structure that allows you, through the use of straps, to adjust the arm in the same way that laces adjust your shoes,” Booher said.

The prostheses come in small, medium and large sizes.

The process of making such a prosthetic can cost between $5,000 and $10,000, he said. Bump’s design costs about $300 for the prosthetic arm and $500 with manufacturing and shipping costs included.

“Right now, 98 percent of people who have lost limbs in developing countries cannot obtain prostheses because they don’t have access or can’t afford that care,” Booher said. “Our device is made to be low-cost and to enable more amputees to have access to that care.”

Bump’s design uses cheap materials that are easy to obtain yet durable enough to use for prosthesis, Kesler said.

Emily Vukovich, sophomore in LAS, said she was amazed with bump’s dedication to helping people in underdeveloped countries.

“It’s nice to see graduates from this University trying to make a difference in the world,” she said. “What they’re doing is really selfless.”

Klaudia can be reached at [email protected].