Orthoses received funding
3D-printed orthoses "Zdravprint" are replacing plaster casts
The Russian company Zdravprint received $100,000 from the Maxfield Capital venture fund for the development of 3D-printed orthoses. The idea is, of course, a good one. Plastic fixators have a number of advantages over traditional plaster: they are not afraid of moisture, allow the skin to breathe and are more hygienic. Scanning also allows you to print orthoses that perfectly repeat the contours of the damaged limb.
If you've ever had a fracture, then you know how unpleasant it is to wear a cast for a couple of months. Not only are such casts heavy and uncomfortable, but the skin under them itches and even becomes inflamed. In addition, gypsum absorbs water, which creates additional problems when bathing. Zdravprint is trying to solve all these problems in one fell swoop, replacing plaster with plastic orthoses printed taking into account the needs of specific patients.
The company was founded by Fedor Aptekarev, Alexander Cherkasov and Sabina Sakaeva. Orthosis developers took part in Yandex's Tolstoy Startup Camp, a program aimed at helping to implement new ideas and launch startups. It was there that Fedor, who is fond of skateboarding and knows all the "charms" of plaster fixators firsthand, came up with the idea to try out 3D printing of medical tires.
As Sabina admits, the first development of the Health Print is unoriginal: it almost exactly repeats Deniz Karakhasin's Osteoid Medical tire, in turn based on the work of Jack Evill from Victoria University of Wellington. The Evill orthosis called "Cortex" turned out to be impractical due to the monolithic construction, but a start was made. Karakhasin created a more practical design, and even added ultrasonic emitters to stimulate the restoration of bone tissue, but his project used a rather toxic ABS plastic, and therefore could not qualify for medical certification. Of course, the same tires can be printed from organic, safe PLA plastic, which is what the guys from Zdravprint did.
Now the team is considering options for commercializing their ideas. The company has applied for a patent, and is also working to obtain the necessary certification for the sale of its products in medical institutions. In addition, the company is considering the option of creating specialized software and selling or licensing software together with 3D printers and scanners. The latter option may be the most practical for the widespread introduction of technology. Of course, the team did not limit itself to designing one design, but creates a whole line of orthoses and fixators for the treatment of all kinds of injuries.
The process of creating an individual orthosis is quite simple and is a standard cycle of scanning, processing a digital model and printing the finished product. There is really one "but": before using a plastic splint, the patient will still have to walk in plaster, because fixation with plaster casts allows doctors to put broken bones in place with high accuracy. However, after a week in plaster, the bones at the fracture site begin to fuse. From this moment on, it is possible to remove the plaster retainer and replace it with a more convenient, hygienic and lightweight plastic version. At the same time, such a delay will allow you to print the orthosis slowly, which, together with scanning and processing the model, can take about a day.
Aptekarev is confident that the technology developed by his team will become the standard in the coming years and will displace traditional plaster fixers. The grant received from Maxfield Capital will undoubtedly help in the implementation of the ideas of the young company.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru09.02.2015