Moldable Double Finger Splint

prusaprinters

<p>(Originally Uploaded to Thingiverse November 08, 2019)</p> <p>Back in middle school during lunch break I used to play basketball (God I hated it...) with my friends. I was never an "injury prone" kid by any means, but when I'd play basketball, like clockwork I'd jam two of my fingers (Usually index and middle digits) every few months.</p> <p>I'd need to wear finger splints for about a week, and sweet buttery Jesus were they sweaty and itchy. Back then 3D printing was mainly for large industry, not really home use. Fast forward to today; I and many others have designed such medical devices to remedy the issue, along with keeping it cheap.</p> <p>In short, this is a variation of my original Moldable Finger Splint; designed for two fingers.</p> <p>Like the previous version, the branching structure of the splint allows for air ventilation to the digits held in place. One half of the splint is slightly longer to accommodate for a longer digit like and index digit being splinted with a middle, a ring digit splinted to a middle, or a little digit splinted to a ring digit. The wrap-around strap on the longer side is set higher to accommodate higher skin webbing on said longer digits as well, to avoid pinching and general discomfort.</p> <p>This can be scaled on the X and Y plane to custom fit whomever would use the device. To make use of the left hand, just flip the model over (The higher digit side should face the right side)</p> <p>Fitment:</p> <p>This was designed for simplicity in mind. Should your fingers not fit the default file, scale the model in Cura (or preferred slicer) to your size. The splint should extend below your knuckle.</p> <p>Never scale the thickness, as 3mm was a balance of rigidity and the ability to shape and conform to a digit. Any thinner and the splint could flex, defeating it's purpose.</p> <p>Molding to Your Fingers:</p> <p>Before molding the splint to your fingers, wrap said fingers in a light cotton cloth to insulate from the heated PLA, should your skin be sensitive to rapid temperature changes.</p> <p>Place the PLA splint in a container of hot water. Once the PLA is soft, take it out of the water and place it over the digits. Rapidly; before it cools, wrap the splint around the fingers. Once the splint is wrapped, place it (With it still wrapped around the fingers) in cold water to set it in place. Should the splint not set correctly, set the splint once again in hot water and repeat the cycle.</p> <p>The splint should not allow the fingers to move (Not to tight mind you), but should still be easily removable when needed.</p> <h3>Print instructions</h3><p>Standard Print Settings:</p> <p>Material: PLA<br/> Extruder: 210C<br/> Bed: 54C<br/> First Layer Print Height: .28mm<br/> Standard Layer Height: .16mm<br/> Wall Thickness: .40<br/> Wall Perimeters: 3<br/> Infill: 25%<br/> Infill Pattern: Gyroid<br/> Material Flow: 100%</p> <p>Use only PLA, as it has one of the lowest glass transition temps out of the more common 3D printing thermoplastics.</p>