Washable mesh sleeve offers alternative to plaster casts

Easy and quick to fit, the lightweight mesh hardens in minutes and is available in almost any colour

Spotted: Heavy and itchy traditional plaster casts may soon be a thing of the past. Cast21’s lightweight, washable mesh sleeve will make the process of healing a broken bone a lot less uncomfortable. Doctors choose the correctly-sized sleeve for their patient, slip it over the location of the break and then fill it with liquid resin. Patients can also choose the colours and patterns of the cast.

The resin partially hardens in three minutes, at which point the doctor finishes moulding it to the patient’s body. It then takes five more minutes for the cast to harden fully. Unlike traditional plaster casts that cannot get wet, the sleeves are waterproof, and the mesh design increases the breathability of the cast, reducing the risk of skin infections. The removal of the cast is also simplified, as doctors can use clinical shears instead of saws.

No electricity or water is needed to apply or remove the sleeve, and so the cast’s portability should make it particularly useful for outdoor or at-home use. The sleeve is currently available in size medium for the forearm, and the Chicago-based startup plans to create larger versions for leg injuries and for an extension to more of the hand and arm. The company is exploring price options to make it as accessible as possible.

Other recent innovations in healthcare that Springwise has spotted include a thread-like medical robot that treats brain blood clots and an AI system that analyses mammograms for signs of breast cancer.