3D-Printed Mesh Immobilization Device with O-Ring Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for post-traumatic immobilization, such as gypsum slurry, plastered bandages, and industrially prepared plaster bandages, are either inefficient, inconvenient, or economically unsustainable, lacking in structural and constitutive characteristics that provide effective immobilization and alignment of bone segments during healing.
Innovation Solution
A 3D-printed post-traumatic immobilization device composed of biocompatible, non-porous mesh parts with helicoidal connecting ends and interchangeable elastic O-rings, designed for rapid attachment and adjustable immobilization, featuring access points for wound dressing and electro-stimulation, manufactured through a protocol involving anthropometric data acquisition and automated software processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gypsum slurry or plastered bandages are used for immobilization, then the immobilization effect is achieved, but the procedure becomes inconvenient and economically unsustainable
Solution Approach 1:
The immobilization device is divided into multiple modular segments that can be assembled and adjusted independently. Each segment can be customized for specific anatomical regions, allowing the device to be adapted to different patient needs while maintaining effective immobilization without the inconvenience of traditional plaster application
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes adjustable parameters such as rigidity, size, and shape that can be modified according to patient requirements. This allows the immobilization device to provide reliable immobilization while being easy to adjust and remove, eliminating the inconvenience associated with fixed plaster bandages
2Reliability
If traditional plaster bandages are used, then immobilization is provided, but the structural precision and alignment capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates pre-formed alignment features and positioning elements that are manufactured in advance with high precision. These preliminary structural elements ensure accurate bone segment alignment from the beginning of immobilization, eliminating the need for complex adjustments that traditional plaster bandages require
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the manual shaping and molding process of traditional plaster bandages with a mechanically precise manufacturing system. This substitution ensures consistent, high-precision alignment capabilities that cannot be achieved through manual plaster application
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom-fitted immobilization devices are manufactured, then the adaptability to patient anatomy is improved, but the manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs universal modular components that can be configured for different anatomical regions and patient sizes. This universality allows custom fitting for various patients while using the same base component set, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity compared to creating entirely custom devices for each patient
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow post-manufacturing customization. This enables the device to adapt to individual patient anatomy after a standardized manufacturing process, reducing the need for complex pre-manufacturing customization while maintaining high adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A post-traumatic immobilization device is produced by a method thereof. The device has an architectural form with a rounded shape, formed by at least two complementary rigid parts (1a, 1b), in the form of a mesh (11). The parts define respective concave cavities and include curved connecting ends (12), and fasteners provided with raised portions (13) for the coupling of elastic O-rings (2) that clamp the rigid parts (1a, 1b) to one another. A method produces the post-traumatic immobilization device.