A startup cofounded by LKCSB graduate Abel Tan wants to rely on 4D-printing to improve the cast used to help broken bones heal.
Castomize has developed a new type of cast that can be reshaped and remolded over time.
“Unlike the standard medical casts that require the use of many disposable bandages, stockinette, and the plaster cast itself, which will all be thrown away when the state of the wound changes and another cast has to be applied, our 4D-printed cast can be removed asthe patient heals, and easily remoulded. This means the patient can wear the same cast until they are fully recovered,” Abel told the Straits Times, which wrote about the company in August 2023.
Abel is one of the startup’s three founders. The other two co-founders are graduates of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The company was established in 2022.
“The idea started after a friend broke his arm during mountain climbing and was complaining how uncomfortable his plaster cast was. He was also trying to relieve the itch by using a ruler to reach inside,” Abel said.
The team initially experimented with 3D printing but found that it was not suitable because it took at least three days for the cast to be created and customised. The team eventually developed a polymer that was more suitable because it could be reshaped with heat.
“It provides the same rigidity for a tenth of the material needed and requires only three minutes to apply. It’s also waterproof and not itchy, and it allows doctors to monitor the healing process with greater ease,” said Abel.
Castomize is working with various incubators and accelerators including SMU’s Business Innovations Generator, Temasek Launchpad, and SUTD.
Five hospitals in Singapore and South Korea are now testing out the cast. Castomize is also working with orthopedic surgeon Michael Yam of Tan Tock Seng Hospital to explore different design aspects, according to the Straits Times. Dr Yam heads the medical 3D printing centre at the hospital.
