Cell-Cast
Cell-Cast
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A new cast design to make treatment more comfortably
Problems of the current casting method
Problems of the current casting method
After a bone is broken, it needs rest and support to heal appropriately. Plaster and fiberglass are the two most common types of cast material. But, whether plaster casts or fiberglass casts, when moisture enters and moistens the cotton layer that helps to protect the skin, it is difficult to get dry and causes odor, itching, and skin irritation. That makes patients feel uncomfortable. Besides, once the injury heals, the doctor will remove the cast with a particular saw. However, some patients, like children, when hearing the sound of sawing and witnessing the saw cutting off, they get scared. So, there is a need for a more effective and comfortable treatment for patients who have injured bones.
Not waterproof / Itching / Scary removing process by sawing
Experimental process
Experimental process
Considering that the cast material should be easily molded to the injured areas and be hard enough to support and protect broken bones, I would like to use a low-temperature thermoplastic material as my cast design material. It can become soft when it is heated and easily molded. As it is cooled, it will become as rigid as general plastic, and it is a reversible reaction. Besides, this material is non-toxic and reusable. By utilizing this material, there is a new possibility to improve the current casting method.
Two key insights I got from my material experiments:
1. Some low-temperature thermoplastic materials have elastic memory and won't slump when it is activated by heating.2. To mold a cast quickly and precisely, we can use low-temperature thermoplastic material to make a tube shape in the first place. After sliding the injured limb into the tube, we can easily mold the tube shape into a personalized cast.
Two key insights I got from my material experiments:
1. Some low-temperature thermoplastic materials have elastic memory and won't slump when it is activated by heating.2. To mold a cast quickly and precisely, we can use low-temperature thermoplastic material to make a tube shape in the first place. After sliding the injured limb into the tube, we can easily mold the tube shape into a personalized cast.
Lighter, More Breathable, and Waterproof to Treat Patients Comfortably
Lighter, More Breathable, and Waterproof to Treat Patients Comfortably
Cell-Cast is a new cast system that utilizes low-temperature thermoplastic material to make comfortable and personalized casts for patients. Its hollow design and waterproof material enable most of the skin to be exposed and allow patients to wash injured areas, solving itching and sweaty mess that arises from trapping heat and sweat inside as a traditional cast does. By assembling Cell-Cast units, orthopedic doctors can make varied sizes of casting forms according to patients' injured areas. Cell-Cast can be easily molded to fit the patient when it is heated. After getting cooled, it hardens and becomes rigid to support and protect broken bones.
How it works
How it works
The design utilizes low-temperature thermoplastic material that can become soft and bendable when heated. It enables a doctor to make a flat cast into a tube cast and shape the tube to fit the injured area. Once it is cooled, it hardens and can support broken bones.
Its hollow design makes the cast more breathable and prevents the discomfort that arises from trapping heat and sweat inside as a traditional cast does. Besides, the low-temperature thermoplastic material isn't affected by water, allowing patients to take a shower freely or swim.
Instead of using a particular saw to cut off the cast with fear, it can be removed by pliers.
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