Project Details

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3d printed custom boots for patients with Charcot foot

Company: Penn State College of Medicine

Major(s):
Primary: BME
Secondary: ME
Optional: MATSE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: YES

Diabetes can result in Charcot foot, characterized by desensitization and foot bone damage. Approximately 25% of these patients undergo amputation. Customized boots are currently created for patients by a clinician using manual, time-intensive methods. This project seeks instead to use CT scans of patients’ feet to create customized boots with 3D modeling and 3D printing. The footwear will have the goal of redistributing pressures acting on the sole of the foot, offloading specific regions and preventing further foot collapse. We have available 3d scans of healthy feet and Charcot feet, a preliminary model of a boot, and sensors to measure pressures on the foot. The project is especially well suited for students interested in biomechanics, biomedical devices, 3D printed materials, and/or 3D modeling.