If you have been a naughty kid, you have probably broken a few bones in your childhood. Apart from having to suffer all the pain, being stuck in a plaster cast is a dreadful experience for a little child.
Wearing cast for a few weeks or months keeps broken bones in the proper position, so one can maintain as much normal movement as possible.
Despite the benefits, it is undeniable that a cast is unpleasant to wear, often being too tight, scratchy, and can easily get infected.
One should be careful with a plaster cast for the first 1 to 2 days as it can easily crack or break while it is drying and hardening. Also, it should be covered with a plastic bag or wrapped to bathe.
Yet, a Chicago-based startup might make plasters a thing of the past.
Jason Troutner, biomedical design engineer Ashley Moy, and electrical engineer Justin Brooks, all from the University of Illinois, began the startup, called Cast21, that aims at revolutionizing the way we mend broken bones and it’s about time.
Their innovation, a wide mesh sleeve, can be clipped onto the patient’s wrist and is then filled with a liquid resin that quickly hardens and sets the bone in place.
It’s more hygienic, waterproof and breathable and takes only 10 minutes to fit.
According to Cast21’s vice president of engineering Veronica Hogg:
“We have this radical notion that you can enjoy your healing experience. You don’t need to be restrained from daily activities. Another bonus is that no electricity or water is needed to apply our cast, so it’s very portable.
It has potential for use in the military and for at-home first aid.”
The company rep also revealed that they plan on “expanding into more territories and developing different product lines to help even more doctors and patients”:
“The doctors and patients we work with are amazing. Our clinician partners are so dedicated to providing their patients with the best care possible, and their dedication shows in the smiles of their grateful patients.
It’s an incredibly motivating experience, and we are so humbled to be a part of it.”
Sources: educateinspirechange.org
