Researchers have developed a fully customizable finger brace that can, with the push or flex of a finger, easily switch from stiff to flexible. Along with its versatility, the brace can be 3D printed and requires no assembly.
They designed the brace as two rigid pieces connected by an elastic band. The band can easily be released when a patient pushes down on the brace and curls or bends their finger to a certain point, allowing easy movement of the finger. When the patient extends their finger, pushing it up, the elastic band snaps back into place through a similar process and the finger becomes immobilized.
The researchers envision customization through software, allowing patients to easily generate a custom brace and either 3D print it themselves or have the completed device sent to them, ready to wear. The patient needs to collect certain dimensions to customize their brace: their finger dimensions, finger strength, which is measured with a force gauge; and their finger’s extension angle. Using these metrics, a computational design tool simulates a version of the brace. This step determines how much force, or torque, is required to safely switch the device from stiff to flexible. Based on the simulation, the tool generates a 3D design. (Image credit: Carnegie Mellon University)
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