Many of us have gone through the nightmare of breaking a bone. After we get through the initial pain of the broken bone, we still have to suffer through weeks of wearing a sweaty and smelly cast made of plaster. Well Jake Evill aims to change that, saying that in the future we could treat our broken bones using printable casts.
The 3D casts are meant to be much more comfortable and easy to wear. Currently, the casts made of plaster are often uncomfortable, heavy, and get ruined if they get wet. A 3D printable cast would change all of that. Not only would it be able to get wet, but it would also be much more lightweight and comfortable.
The process involved in getting a 3D printed cast would be very similar to the process we currently have to go through to get a plaster cast. The patient is first x-rayed in order to determine exactly where the break is. The limb is then 3D scanned in order for the cast to be moulded to the particular shape of the patients limb. The software behind the system then creates a cast that is specifically designed to support the location of the break.
The cast that is created both protects your limb and creates an environment for the bones to heal, but it also allows for your skin to breath. You can also take a shower without having to worry about damaging the cast.
The 3D printed cast even allows for the wearer to be able to wear clothes over the top of it because of its slim profile. All these features make for this type of cast to be leaps and bounds better than the current plaster cast system that is in place. On top of all that, the cast is recyclable, unlike the plaster casts that are currently being used.
Could we see this system being used in the future for fixing broken bones? Hopefully so, as it clearly is a better system!
