Engineering Students Design Waterproof and Lightweight Arm Cast to Replace Plaster Casts

Dec 03, 2019 by apost team

If you've had to wear a cast before, you know just how uncomfortable they are. You have to be especially careful around water, whether that's when going out during a rainstorm or while taking a shower. You must endure annoying itches inside the cast. You need to prepare your nostrils for the powerful smell that emanates from the areas that it had been protecting when it's finally taken off. However, these challenging aspects of the cast-wearing experience may be soon coming to an end. Engineers have designed a replacement, Cast21, that is waterproof and lightweight and offers numerous other benefits.

A Chicago-based startup, which was formed by three University of Illinois students, has shown just what can be done by dedicated individuals looking to make the world a better place. How it works is that the casing is placed over the patient's forearm before being filled with a liquid resin, which hardens in moments, setting the bone in place, as reported here at Chicagobusiness.com. Its mesh design makes it much more breathable and more hygienic.

apost.com

Another of the advantages is how simple it is to apply. In fact, it can even be carried in backpacks worn by hikers and climbers so that, if they suffer a significant accident, they could administer it themselves and not need to get to a doctor in order to have a cast applied. Part of the reason for its portability is due to no water or electricity being necessary. This feature would also make Cast21 advantageous for members of the military to use.

Also, removing Cast21 would be much simpler than removing plaster casts. No circular saw would be needed. All that would be required would be clinical shears, which would be used to snip through the tabs, and it'd be done, just like that.

However, as is normal in the medical world, it's still going take some time for this to be available to the general public. Also, the only Cast21 designs that exist so far are ones designed for medium-sized forearms. However, future designs for legs, ankles and fingers and for differently sized body parts are planned.

What are your thoughts? Would you be grateful if you were able to use a Cast21 design should you ever be in need of one? Do you think this will become mainstream?