Rapid Liquid 3D Printing of Patient Specific Wrist Orthoses
Problem statement
When a patient requires a wrist orthotics to support weakness or correct maladjustments, they should not be limited by the availability of a hand specialist, the lengthy time it takes to mold the custom orthotic, or the lofty expenses that are often incurred due to these barriers. Current custom wrist orthotics are molded from thermoplastic and can only be conducted by a hand specialist; someone not all hospitals have readily available. Therefore, the Wristy Business team aims to retrofit a readily available 3D printer with Rapid Liquid Printing technology. In the past, 3D printing has been limited by its slow printing time. However, Rapid Liquid Printing prints into a viscous paste that allows for more material to be ejected at a time, thus greatly reducing the printing time. This revolutionary technology would increase the range of material options and eliminate the need for a specialist to mold the orthoses. Not only would it be a cheaper alternative, but more patients could be treated by more practitioners.
Team members
George Halunen – leader
Cate Fitzgerald – communicator
Ben Armstrong – accountant
Emma Neumann – admin
Gabby Snyder
Client
Dr. Zachary French and Dr. Eamon Bernardoni, UW Hospitals and Clinics, Orthopedic Surgery