There has been a time in everyone’s life that the dreaded snap or crack comes after a trip or fall and the ability to move that limb, which has been injured, is not possible. The process of trying to get back on our feet and get to the hospital or doctors is very painful. Older traditional methods would have and still do include an x-ray, then a plaster cast is placed round whatever part of the body has been injured. The plaster cast is very helpful in the recovery process and is helpful in speeding up the recovery process of broken bones by safely protecting the injured part and giving it time to heal.
Recently, there are been major advancements in reshaping the way casts are molded. One inventor, Jake Evill has successfully created a 3d printed brace, which could take over from the older traditional methods of plaster, and fiberglass, which is the current method used in hospitals around the world.
The idea is very simple, patients would have their broken bones scanned by a 3d scanner, and this process allows data to be captured very accurately. The data collected is then collated, sent on to the printer, which then prints an exact matching brace fitting around the broken limb. The cast is as unique as the person wearing it, thus allowing it to heal.
The benefits of using this new 3d printed brace technology is that it would be far more easy for the patient to be more mobile, as the brace is lightweight but durable. Whereas, the older traditional plaster cast are very heavy and hard to move, especially when it is fit to a broken leg.
This newly created brace is still in its early stages of creation but the inventor is looking for the right materials that will carry out the job that is needed, again another example of this cutting edge 3d printing technology influencing and adding to the quality of our lives.