Comparing additive manufacturing technologies for customised wrist splints

Abstract

Citation: PATERSON, A. ... et al., 2015 Comparison of Additive Manufacturing Systems for the Design and Fabrication of Customised Wrist SplintsPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare four different additive manufacturing (AM) processes in order to assess their suitability in the context of upper extremity splinting. Design/methodology/approach -This paper describes the design characteristics and subsequent fabrication of six different wrist splints using four different AM processes: Laser Sintering (LS), Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA) and PolyJet material jetting via Objet Connex. The suitability of each process was then compared against competing designs and processes from traditional splinting. The splints were created using a digital design workflow that combined recognised clinical best practice with design for AM principles. Findings -Research concluded that, based on currently available technology, FDM was considered the least suitable AM process for upper extremity splinting. LS, SLA and material jetting show promise for future applications but further research and development into AM processes, materials and splint design optimisation are required if the full potential is to be realised. Originality/value -Unlike previous work that has applied AM processes to replicating traditional splint designs, the splints described are based on a digital design for AM workflow, incorporating novel features and physical properties not previously possible in clinical splinting. The benefits of AM for customised splint fabrication have been summarised. A range of AM processes have also been evaluated for splinting, exposing the limitations of existing technology, demonstrating novel and advantageous design features and opportunities for future research.

Additive manufacturing of custom orthoses and prostheses—A review

“…Paterson et al [51] studied the processes of SLS, FDM, SLA, and 3D-printing to fabricate custom wrist splints with digital design and features that can only be made by AM (Fig. 15(a)).…”

“…Besides FO, AFO, and lower-limb prosthetic sockets, AM has been used in other types of O&P, such as custom wrist splints [51], auricular prostheses [52,53], and prosthetic hands and feet. Paterson et al [51] studied the processes of SLS, FDM, SLA, and 3D-printing to fabricate custom wrist splints with digital design and features that can only be made by AM (Fig.…”

Shrinkage and Warpage Optimization of Expanded‐Perlite‐Filled Polypropylene Composites in Extrusion‐Based Additive Manufacturing

“…In addition, the growing demand for product diversity and customized products are also favoring the growth of AM . AM with polymers has been exploited in a number of innovative ways to produce materials and functional devises in many fields, such as automotive applications, commodity products, and industrial apparatuses, as well as medical applications, in which research has focused on the production of patient‐specific implants, prostheses, and polymer‐based drug delivery systems …”

Hybrid Living Materials: Digital Design and Fabrication of 3D Multimaterial Structures with Programmable Biohybrid Surfaces

“…In the production of soft devices, a conformable bandage‐like prototype was fabricated using distributions of rigid (RGD810), rubber‐like (FLX930), and chemical signaling materials to exhibit site‐specific flexibility and bioactivity (Figure d). The resulting construct produced a programmed bacterial response across a variable flexible‐to‐rigid substrate, designed to twist along one axis in a manner that would be applicable to ergonomic support or local conformation to the body (e.g., for biomedical splints, sockets, or bed rests) …”