Anyone who has ever worn a cast knows well how itchy, smelly, and unpleasant it can be. The casts are heavy and have no ventilation, so skin beneath gets no air or sun while the unused muscles weaken and reduce in size. Deniz Karasahin, an industrial designer, has proposed a new approach that uses a 3D printer to create custom breathable, washable casts. The casts would be created using 3D scans of the patient’s own limbs and printed out of plastic with some additional metal components to hold everything together. The cast can be removed when necessary without using a scary vibrating saw and look like they’re ready for the catwalk.
Beside improving on the common cast, the system can be integrated with pulsed ultrasound stimulation, a therapy that can be effective in accelerating the healing of some bone fractures. The only downside seems to be the lack of space for schoolmate signatures, but like everything else those are probably moving to Facebook already.
The Osteoid Medical Cast was chosen as a winner in the A’Design 3D Printed Forms and Products Design Award.
More info: Osteoid Medical cast, attachable bone stimulator by Deniz Karasahin…
(hat tip: Gizmodo)