Customer
Clubfoot solutions LTD
Headquarters
Westminster
Industry
Medical equipment manufaturing
Employees
100+
Improve non-surgical treatment of clubfoot birth defects for more than 200,000 children each year.
Dr. Thomas Cook, the co-founder of the 501(c)(3) Clubfoot Solutions, saw an opportunity to significantly improve the traditional approach to correcting clubfoot birth defects.
Cook, who serves as professor emeritus for the University of Iowa College of Public Health, wanted to improve the design of the “Iowa Brace,” a simple plaster casting technique that was pioneered by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti in the 1950s. The Iowa Brace was designed to be worn during treatment to hold the child’s feet in the correct position.” The original static model consists of two platforms, one for each foot, and lightweight mesh booties connected by a fixed bar. While the device is extremely effective, the brace’s fixed connecting bar significantly limits mobility and keeps young children from moving independently.
Cook reimagined the Iowa Brace with an articulating platform so that children could move their feet and stretch their muscles while still maintaining the correct therapeutic position of the foot platforms.
When he saw that his design concept would require a great deal of testing and iteration, he turned to Protostudios, the on-campus lab specializing in medical device prototyping and 3D printing, to make it happen.
Leveraging Stratasys additive manufacturing technology to accelerate prototyping, testing, and production.
The Stratasys F370 3D printer
The Protostudios prototyping lab began their workflow by considering the model and design inputs, said Spencer Kuhl, director of operations for Protostudios.
“Like most manufacturing processes, the components need to be redesigned or designed from the outset to be optimized for the targeted manufacturing equipment,” said Kuhl.
The models were 3D printed using a high-strength material, PC-ABS, on the Stratasys F370 FDM (fused deposition modeling) printer, a widely-used form of 3D printing where strong thermoplastics are deposited layer-by-layer from the bottom up by heating and extruding thermoplastic filament, allowing engineers to build parts quickly in early-stage prototyping. This process allowed Dr. Cook to test the device's functionality often in the early stages.
“After trying the prototype on about six children, we quickly learned that the locking mechanism attachment could crack,” said Dr. Cook. “Thanks to 3D printing technology, we were able to produce a few prototypes and test them on patients immediately to find the breaking point. We ended up redesigning the attachment piece and effectively doubled the thickness of the connecting bar.”
In a short amount of time, Dr. Cook and the Protostudios team were able to manufacture 18 iterations of the device.
Another part of the process that enabled rapid prototyping was the quick time to injection with the help of the Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy Printer.
Protostudios’ injection molding system is designed to use a Master Unit Die (MUD) base, which allows the team to create relatively small mold inserts rather than machine a dedicated mold base, explained Kuhl. The inserts can be machined from tool steel or aluminum, or 3D printed on the J750 platform with PolyJet Digital ABS material and its glossy surface feature.
Once they completed functional testing, the team could print the same model, choose the colors and textures that matched the final injection-molded parts for visual appeal and aesthetic approval, and check that the part could be injection molded and fulfilled all design criteria.
“With the Digital ABS material, we were able to 3D print both mold halves in a day, let them cure for another two days, then mount them in the MUD base and start making parts all in a single week,” said Kuhl.
Turning today’s ideas into tomorrow’s innovation with Stratasys medical solutions
80% of the children who are born with congenital clubfoot live in developing countries, where access to affordable medical care is limited. The improved Iowa Brace serves as effective, affordable, and accessible nonsurgical treatment for families around the world—and gives energetic children the gift of independence and mobility.
“Our partnership with Clubfoot Solutions was one of the most impactful projects in recent memory,” said Kuhl. “And the capabilities of the two Stratasys 3D printers complimented each other perfectly.”
By leveraging FDM and PolyJet together, the Protostudios team was able to bring Cook’s design to life quickly and efficiently.
To date, Cook’s nonprofit, Clubfoot Solutions, has distributed nearly 100,000 Iowa Braces and counting to children in need.
Experience the power of Stratasys additive manufacturing for medical innovation. Learn more today.
