A man surnamed Yang, from Northeast China said he has come up with a way to make prosthetic fingers using a 3D printer to help amputees regain the use of their hands. Photo: Screenshot of a post by Ziniu Video

A man surnamed Yang from Northeast China said he has come up with a way to make prosthetic fingers using a 3D printer to help amputees regain the use of their hands. 

Yang's mechanical plastic fingers fit over the stump of an amputee's missing finger and is attached to an elastic around the wearer's wrist. The prosthesis can simulate the motion of a finger, allowing amputees to grasp objects.

"I received a message from a 16-year-old student in Shanxi Province, who wrote that he hopes to one day be able to pick up a pen and write," Yang told the Ziniu News. "Since I'm into mechanical things and I have a 3D printer, I made two mechanical fingers and sent them to the boy."

"A month later, the student showed me a video of him writing in fine script, and I was deeply moved to think what I did for him was meaningful," said Yang, who has since helped other amputees at no charge to them.

A video posted by the Ziniu News on Weibo, a Chinese social platform, shows another man, 28, from south China's Guangdong Province clicking a mouse with his mechanical finger made by Yang. 

He told the Ziniu News that he lost the first two segments of his right index finger four years ago, and thanks to his "magic finger," he can once again grab things.

The video has gone viral with many netizens praising Yang for his kindness and inventiveness. "Do remember to apply for a patent," wrote a Weibo user.

The Ziniu News