User-Tailored Orthosis Design for 3D Printing with PLACTIVE: A Quick Methodology

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for user-tailored orthosis design for 3D printing that aims to give a non-expert, user-oriented tool that easily generates a customized orthosis. Additionally, this work aims to verify the biocompatibility of the PLACTIVE™ (PLACTIVE AN1™, nano-additive concentration 1%, Copper 3D, Santiago, Chile) filament after extrusion to check its feasibility for 3D printed orthoses. A forefinger and a thumb orthosis were successfully designed applying the proposed methodology. The results showed that the proposed methodology is able to generate simple and practical orthoses through a fairly easy and intuitive procedure. Furthermore, experimental tests showed that the biocompatibility of the PLACTIVE™ filament is not affected after extrusion process, suggesting that it is a feasible material for 3D-printed orthoses.

Keywords

• PLACTIVE
• biocompatibility
• 3D printing
• rapid prototyping
• orthosis
• neurorehabilitation