Wrist in Peace

Wrist fracture stabilization fixture

Problem statement

Imagine having the responsibility of making sure someone’s wrist heals properly after an injury. It is up to you to make sure enough pressure, often almost as hard as you can push, is applied at the exact right spot, in the correct manner, and maintained just right for several minutes while you wait for the cast to set. Now imagine that you might have to do this several times on a given day, getting more and more tired with each iteration. All of this while remembering the paramount importance of upholding consistency, for failure to do so means consequences like surgery for the patient. There are devices like finger traps that aid in this process by suspending the patient’s arm in a convenient position and applying tension, but the molding of casts is still done by hand[1]. Wouldn’t you want to use a device that would ensure consistent, repeatable results that aren’t governed by strength or fatigue? Our goal is to create a pressure applying device that maintains the cast’s desired form automatically and throughout the duration of cast immobilization. Our device will reduce the risk of patients needing invasive surgery stemming from human error and alleviate work requirements for nurses, ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care possible while making nurses’ lives easier.

Team members

Joseph Sullivan – communicator
Samuel Schmidt – admin
Stanley Fang – facilitator