Thatcham inventor solves the aesthetics of prosthetics

Jonathan Bradshaw, who grew up in Thatcham before moving to Nottingham to attend university two years ago, has produced a prosthetic leg with a changeable cover.
The 24-year-old has just completed his final year of a BA (Hons) in product design at Nottingham Trent University.
He invented the artificial limb as part of his dissertation. It has a clip system that allows the wearer to change the outer cover, giving them a choice of colours and designs.
Mr Bradshaw said that he was inspired by a former Kennet School friend, Amy Bosley, who had a leg amputation but did not like the limb she was given by the NHS and so used a wheelchair.
Mr Bradshaw said: “I found that intriguing and it prompted my interest for my final year.
“I found out that the NHS and some private health care places don’t factor in aesthetics, mainly owing to budgets.
“I investigated from that how important the aesthetics of a limb were. And for a younger generation, I found it was very important.
“I found that the amputees did want the function and the comfort but they said that the aesthetics could be better.
“I’m trying to increase the aesthetics side of it without adding much cost to the overall limb.”
On further investigation, he found out that there was a company in the US that already made this product but at a cost of £8,000, however Mr Bradshaw said that his product, without the covers, could cost as little as £120.
He said: “From my research, I found out that it is important to the amputee that their perception of their limb is positive.
“Amy’s perception of her limb was not positive – she hated it.
“This will be a way of improving people’s perceptions and changing it to a lifestyle and fashion thing.
“It will be a way of combining it with their own fashion sense.”
His aim, he said, was to simply make one person feel better about wearing their limb.
He added: “I came up with the idea a bit before the [London 2012] Paralympics, but it really did come at the right time because it’s now at the forefront of people’s minds and it’s a trendy thing to be talking about – it’s very current.”
Mr Bradshaw hopes to put the limb into production later this year.