Breaking your arm is no fun, nor
is keeping the ailing limb immobile for weeks on end as it heals. But an
eye-catching prototype design for a 3D-printed cast could at least keep you
cool.
Osteoid, which recently won an A’Design Award, is the brainchild of Turkish designer Deniz Karasahin, and its
open, web-like form was inspired by the geometry of spongy bone.
The plastic cast can be
custom-designed to fit the person who needs it, and its structure is made in
two parts that fit together. The airy design makes it light, and the limb less
prone to becoming itchy and smelly than with conventional casts. It is also
claimed that the prototype is unaffected by water and environmentally friendly.
It’s not the first time someone has thought of a 3D-printed cast, but this design has another trick – it can be
combined with a low-intensity pulsed ultrasound system to deliver ultrasound in
short sessions to the affected area. Some studies suggest that this kind of
stimulation might speed up healing.
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