Image of the Day: A 3D-printed ultrasound cast

Walking around with a regular gawky plaster cast is like wearing a cinder block that’s attached to you for a seemingly infinite amount of time. A 3D-printed osteroid cast has been developed to move the healing process along with a more comfortable cast alternative. With this technology, studies show that the time it normally takes to heal bones is reduced by nearly 38%.

This research for this technology occurred during a 4-month period where Deniz Karasahin researched and analyzed how to make the cast. Karasahin is an industrial designer by trade and enjoys applying his abundant knowledge of technology to his innovations. The design for the Osteoid Medical Cast won the Golden A'Design Award in the 3D-printed technology and design category.

Karasahin created a bone stimulator probe that attaches to the area of injury to promote healthy and rapid bone regrowth and development. The probe emits low intensity pulses (LIPUS) that are sent directly to the area of the broken or fractured bone. The ultrasound pulse system stimulates the bone for 20 minutes a day. The inclusive LIPUS ultrasound probes are placed directly onto the injured area through the ventilation holes. These 3D-printed casts won’t cause its wearer discomfort, and the ventilation holes will allow air to hit the skin directly. 

For the cast to specifically fit each individual, a 3D body scan must be performed. The scan is transferred to a computer with computer-aided-design (CAD) modeling  software and the size and structure of the cast is determined. The device that determines the placement of the ventilation holes is created with an algorithm. The system is then added to the CAD data with the LIPUS probe adapters. All of this data is eventually 3D-printed with FDM from ABS. The prototype cast measures 130 x 108 x 315 x 145 x 40 mm. When these casts are printed into two separate sections, they simply fit together like puzzle pieces with the help of a printed rubber layer.

The osteoid cast is still in its developmental stage, but looking forward, a plaster cast will soon be a thing of the past.

Story via ADesignAward