Prosthetics and orthotics are necessary for a variety of patients, but the current manufacturing process for these medical devices is time-consuming and costly for both patients and hospitals. The students at Gonzaga University began a research project to explore ways to lower development time and cost using a large format 3D printer from 3D Platform. Patients can soon expect high-quality 3D printed orthotics that are affordable and produced quickly.
An Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) is a brace designed to treat foot and ankle disorders in children. It supports a child’s lower extremities, allowing a child to develop the process of walking and balancing.
The current process of fabricating an AFO consists of several involved steps including scanning, molding, vacuum heat forming, and form and fitting. This process normally takes as long as 4 weeks and can cost up to $2000 for most patients.
Seeing the need to improve the process of designing and constructing AFO the students at the Gonzaga University started to research and develop a 3D-printed rapid prototyping process for fabricating AFO. The goal was to “create a simple, easily 3D printed AFO with the best composition and geometry to meet strength and comfort requirements for patients.”
Creating a simple, easily 3D printed AFO with the best composition and geometry to meet patient strength and comfort requirements was top priority. First, researchers used a 3D scanner to collect a patient’s ankle and foot measurement data.
Then, the 3D model is designed for 3D printing. Concurrently, the researchers tested several types of 3D printing materials, including PLA, Polypropylene, Carbon Fiber PLA, PETG, Nylon, to help determine optimal materials for 3D printed AFOs.
“We want to 3D print large braces (up to 18 in.), and we need to print with a variety of materials as we research the best design for the braces,” says McKenzie Horner, one of the researchers at Gonzaga University. “3D Platform helped solve the problem by providing a versatile large-format 3D printer that helps us with our materials research. We were able to print a full-scale proof of concept immediately, and the open platform software capabilities let us prepare a print easily from a doctor’s 3D scan of a patient’s leg.”
- Multiple material choices
After extensive testing on the selected 3D printing materials’ tensile strength (Mpa), fatigue rating, printability, and repeatability, researchers identified PLA and PETG are the most optimal choices for the AFO, for both materials meet strength and function requirements while minimizing the material cost.
By 3D printing AFOs, researchers cut down production time from 4 weeks to 2 days. The setup of the 3D model can take a matter of minutes, with the 3D print taking up to 16 hours on a larger model. The 3D printing process can cut production from a few weeks to a matter of hours.
- Lower cost
3D printed AFO costs significantly less to produce, thanks to the reduction of cost in materials and labor. Unlike the traditional heat molding process that has excess material wasted after trimming away from leg hole, 3D printing only uses the required material.
Students at Gonzaga University will continue to explore the possibilities of 3D printing AFO with more materials, and patients soon can expect high-quality 3D printed orthosis that is affordable and produced within an optimized time-frame.
Gonzaga University
www.gonzaga.edu
3D Platform
www.3DPlatform.com
