This article is a part of our <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program</a>. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe.Community voting is now live. Vote for your favorite submission by visiting: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/utep-community-vote/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program Community Vote</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">Technical description</h2>The robotic device ADIUTOR aims at improving the lives of both post-stroke patient and therapist users, who will be able to treat more patients with significantly lower time and cost than the currently existing solutions. The perfect integration with mobile devices will allow the patient to remain informed about her therapeutic progress, which is essential to keep the patient&#39;s motivation high. Reduced costs and footprints also allow use at the patient&#39;s home where sessions can be carried out at the comfort of their home, after the therapist has set up the training program. Human error will be minimized thanks to the efficiency that the machine offers, which will never be tired or bored, but will carry out therapy with constant results day by day. The physiotherapist will define the patterns that the1 patient will perform during the various sessions and monitor the progress of the results achieved. In the patient&#39;s use scenario, in accordance with the home use (where possible), it will be up to the physiotherapist to take care of all the necessary instructions and warnings to keep the patient in total safety during the conduct of the domestic therapy sessions.ADIUTOR is composed of four main parts: the fixed base, the moving attachment, the moving elements, and the rigid cover. The fixed base can be located on a standard desk at home. A large touch screen is connected to the fixed base for the interactions with the users. The moving attachment (end-effector) of the device hosts the patient&#39;s hand. This part is also equipped with sensors to monitor the patient&#39;s biometric data (Heartbeats, Oxygen saturation, Relative humidity of the contact part). It is useful to understand the patient&#39;s state of effort/stress during the whole therapy. The moving elements are arranged in a robotic (DELTA-like) architecture. They allow three dimensional motions of the moving attachment. The moving elements include specific motors and control hardware. The rigid cover is located above all the moving elements to avoid any risks to the patient.<img alt="ADIUTOR design" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0MjU1MDcxLWltYWdlNC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig.1 A scheme of ADIUTOR design<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hU2CVGya29M?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The Interactive Robotic Device is one of the most valuable innovative elements of this project. This technology is based on IT and the control algorithm is directly linked to the data collected by the Sensitive Haptic Interface. It is essentially a feedback control that can be implemented directly on the central control unit of the robotic device.&nbsp;The interactive tasks aim to involve the patient in the rehabilitation activities; therefore &quot;Serious games&quot; are foreseen. This technique is already known and widely used in rehabilitation activities with robotic machines. The use of Virtual Reality technology would allow the patient to be immersed in the game environment to increase the perception of the three-dimensional movements to be performed. Table 1 reports a summary of ADIUTOR&rsquo;s key features. This includes a touch screen user interface as also shown in Fig.2.Key features of ADIUTOR:<div align="center" dir="ltr"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cost</td><td>Sizes [mm]</td><td>Ranges of motion [mm]</td><td>D.O.F.</td><td>Weight</td><td>Payload</td></tr><tr><td>&lt;25,000 Euros</td><td>500x500x350</td><td>400x400x300</td><td>3&nbsp;</td><td>&lt; 10 Kg</td><td>5 Kg</td></tr></tbody></table></div><img alt="ADIUTOR's UI" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0Mjc3MjYyLTE2NDgyNzQyNzcyNjIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig.2 A scheme of ADIUTOR&rsquo;s user interface.<h2 dir="ltr">Applications of your prototype/product</h2>Thanks to our device, patients could intensify their rehabilitation sessions, practicing several times in the clinic and at home, maintaining a high level of involvement thanks to serious games and artificial intelligence. These factors lead to a huge advantage which is the reduction of rehabilitation times with better results, such as greater coordination.Furthermore, the machine can be used for different scenarios of rehabilitation: Acute rehabilitation: performed in hospitals following the stabilization of the patient after a stroke; Medium-term rehabilitation: performed in public and private rehabilitation clinics on an outpatient basis; Long-term rehabilitation: performed in rehabilitation clinics and in the home setting. Allows for prevention against premature aging; Treating chronic movement problems in the upper limbs; Track progress to keep motivation high. Fig.3 depicts some feasible operation scenarios for ADIUTOR while Figs.4 and 5 show some examples of the operation of a prototype.&nbsp;<img alt="feasible scenarios of ADIUTOR use" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0NjI4MTk1LWltYWdlNy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;">Fig.4. Examples of feasible scenarios with ADIUTOR: a) a scheme with ADIUTOR on a home desk with a screen user interface; b) a scheme with interactive exercising of the upper limb with a patient laying on bed for acute/sub-acute post stroke treatment.<img alt="ADIUTOR on a desk" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0MDMzMjAzLTE2NDgyNzQwMzMyMDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 513px;">Fig.4 ADIUTOR version 1 on a conventional home desk.<img alt="ADIUTOR exercise sequence" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0Njg2OTA1LWltYWdlMi5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig.5 A photo sequence of ADIUTOR during a limb exercise.<h2 dir="ltr">About the University Technology Exposure Program 2022</h2>Wevolver, in partnership with <a href="https://mouser.com/" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> and <a href="https://www.ansys.com/" target="_blank">Ansys</a>, is excited to announce the launch of the University Technology Exposure Program 2022. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe. Learn more about the program <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">here</a>.<img alt="university-technology-exposure-program-mouser-ansys" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4Mjc0MDMxNTc2LTE2NDgyNzQwMzE1NzYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="720" height="91" class="fr-fic fr-dii">

ADIUTOR device proposes a novel approach to provide high-intensity, repetitive, task-specific self-treatment at the home of an upper limb and it can help monitor patients' progress as well as personalize their treatment with improved motivation and interaction.

ADIUTOR: A novel Limb Exercising and Monitoring Device

Orthopaedic cast immobilisation is one of the most common ways to treat broken and fractured bones. This process involves the use of materials to encase and restrict the movement of broken bones, allowing them to heal.As technology has become more accessible, 3D Printed casts have grown in popularity. They are much lighter, more comfortable and easier to produce than traditional casts. Despite the evolution in cast production qualities, all casts share a fundamental flaw &ndash; they are single-use products.Since the job of a cast is to set body parts in a fixed position, they have to be tailor-made to the unique anatomy of the individual patients.3D printed casts are also complex in their structure, these factors eliminate the possibility of reusing casts, even if hygiene issues were non-existent.&nbsp;CREATE Education Ambassador, <a href="https://www.createeducation.com/community-partner/jack-cockle/" target="_blank">Jack Cockle</a> identified an opportunity to explore alternative strategies to make immobilisation casts more sustainable. With an aim to reduce the inevitable waste generated by their complex and tailored form and maintenance of hygiene standards. <img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjA0NDg3NDY4NDE4LUpDUzUuanBnIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;"><h1 dir="ltr">The Process</h1>As part of one of Jack&rsquo;s final year projects whilst studying BA (Hons) Sustainable Product Design, he began by making a normal plaster cast, trialling traditional methods of the cast making to justify future design choices.Then making a basic 3D printed cast, by scanning his hand/arm using a 3D scanner and software. Exporting the scan as an STL file into <a href="https://marketplace.createeducation.com/product/fusion-360-software-training/" target="_blank">Autodesk Fusion 360</a>, which was then converted to a b-rep file, allowing Jack to model a form around the hand/arm.Next, 3D printing the cast in <a href="https://marketplace.createeducation.com/?swoof=1&post_type=product&pa_material=petg&paged=1" target="_blank">rPETG</a> on the <a href="https://marketplace.createeducation.com/product/ultimaker-s5-3d-printer/" target="_blank">Ultimaker S5</a>. This was made easier by the scale of the printer, saving time where Jack would have had to split up the model into more pieces, then glueing them together.&nbsp;To explore the scope of making casts more sustainable, Jack evaluated multiple design ideas through an iterative process. The aim was to investigate the possibility of fabricating 3D printed casts that adapt to the form of the user, rather than existing as a rigid form tailored to individual patients, thus making them more suitable for reuse.This idea came to Jack as his colleagues tried on the 3D printed cast, which almost, but didn&rsquo;t perfectly fit them due to the varied shapes of individuals&#39; limbs.Owing to Auxetic materials and structures exhibiting certain abnormal mechanical responses, thanks to the possession of negative Poisson&rsquo;s ratio response. Meaning they get thicker when stretched lengthwise and thinner when compressed. Jack began experimenting with auxetic forms in different materials such as <a href="https://marketplace.createeducation.com/product-category/filament/?swoof=1&paged=1&pa_material=tpu&really_curr_tax=812-product_cat" target="_blank">TPU</a> and Flexible Resin.<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjA0NDg4NTU1MjYyLTMwMGRwaUR5bmFtaUNhc3QzLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;"> In Rhino3D, Jack generated a series of cylindrical auxetic lattice forms, choosing the ones that required no support material (as this would be difficult to remove from such a complex structure). Jack printed them in both TPU and flexible resin to test how well each structure and material compressed under pressure.The concept was a flexible resin auxetic sleeve that fits over the arm of the patient, which is compressed by the rigid PETg shell, immobilising the limb.In theory, the reusable cast would reduce waste, cut lead times (as a stock of casts could be kept) and the longer-term cost of casts per patient (since the costs of one cast could be distributed across several patients).Recommended reading:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/introducing-antibacterial-properties-into-additive-manufactured-parts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Introducing Antibacterial Properties Into Additive Manufactured Parts</a>Jack has been developing the mesh further, to become elastic resin bands that are finer, have more layers, and are preinstalled into the cast shell before being applied to the arm. <img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjA0NDg5Mzc1NzUyLTMwMGRwaUR5bmFtaUNhc3QyICgxKS5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;"><hr><h2 dir="ltr">Do you want to CREATE the Future of Education?</h2>Industry is adopting additive manufacturing at an exponential rate, it is critical to be equipped with the skills needed in employment.&nbsp;It is imperative that individuals experience these ground-breaking technologies today, to futureproof UK manufacturing in a globally competitive marketplace and address the many global issues we face.CREATE Education are expert providers across the UK and Ireland, specialising in developing 3D technologies in education, to enable learners and empower educators.&nbsp;Get in touch with our education specialists today on 01257 276 116 or email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:enquiries@createeducation.com" target="_blank">enquiries@createeducation.com</a>.

Further harnessing 3D printing technology to promote sustainability within the medical industry

As technology has become more accessible, 3D Printed casts have grown in popularity,  owing to several benefits. However, all casts share a fundamental flaw - they are single-use products

3D Printing Sustainable Casts

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