Called the Osteoid, this futuristic-looking creation appears to be straight from a science fiction film, but Deniz Karahasin’s invention is actually a 3D-printed cast that speeds up bone healing by nearly 40% using ultrasound technology. Simply put, Osteoid requires a mere 20-minutes, thanks to low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) leads that are placed on the skin, right over the bone injury. Continue reading for more pictures and information.
According to Inhabitat, “In order for the cast to fit perfectly on the patient’s limb, the area with the broken bone is scanned via a 3D body scanner. The data is transferred to modeling software and then an additional locking mechanism and algorithmically generated ventilation holes are added to the final CAD data along with LIPUS probe adapters. The final product-the Osteoid medical cast-is made from two pieces that can be fixed together like a jigsaw puzzle. A central hole passes through the edges of these pieces, where a flexible pin is inserted to tightly connect them.”