Open AccessCIR Casting System for Making Transtibial Sockets
Author(s) -
Yi-Ning Wu,
Hector R. Casanova,
Kim D. Reisinger,
William K. Smith,
Dudley S. Childress
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
prosthetics and orthotics international
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.729
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1746-1553
pISSN - 0309-3646
DOI - 10.1080/03093640802446703
Subject(s) - casting , software portability , materials science , mold , composite material , computer science , operating system
This paper describes a new casting system for transtibial socket fabrication. Like the earlier CIR Sand Casting System, the CIR Casting System is based on the 'dilatancy' principle that is similar to the packaging process for coffee beans by which loose beans become a solid mass when a vacuum is applied. The main difference from the CIR Sand Casting System is that the CIR Casting System uses light-weight, polystyrene beads in place of silica sand as the primary material for casting the negative mold. The formed negative mold can be converted into a positive sand model for modification and socket formation. With the new plaster-less casting system, the prosthetist can fabricate a transtibial prosthesis in about one hour. It reduces the set-up cost, overall weight and size of the casting system, and increases portability for service in remote areas. The System also creates minimal waste and is energy-conserving and environmentally-friendly.