Cauet artificial hand

Cauet mechanical hand, made of aluminium

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Cauet mechanical hand, made of aluminium
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Cauet mechanical hand, made of aluminium, with cork inlay to the front of the fingers which are articulated only at the metacarpo-phalangeal joints. The thumb and all the fingers "open" by means of a 'pull-cord' which is fixed to the front of the wrist and operated by means of a shoulder harness. Made by Prosthesia Ltd. c.1918.

This hand is made of aluminium with a cork inlay to the front of the finger tips. It can bend at the knuckle joints with the aid of a pull cord, which is attached to the front of the wrist and operated by a shoulder harness.

Known as a ‘Cauet hand’ after its designer Philippe Adolphe Cauet, a Frenchman who patented the hand in 1915. It was made by Prosthesia Ltd, one of a number of companies set up during the First World War to meet the demand for artificial limbs.

Details

Category:
Orthopaedics
Object Number:
1999-586
Materials:
aluminium and cork
Measurements:
overall: 97 mm x 183 mm x 92 mm, .39kg
type:
artificial hand
credit:
Richmond Twickenham and Roehampton Healthcare NHS Trust