Updated Brace

Our newest prototype is in the process of being printed. The changes that we have made include: modified straps in order to take the brace on and off, and a new system for the brace to be able to lock in different positions. Once the brace is fully printed, we will post a photo of the brace in the visual log.

Icy Hot Smart Relief

We have purchased an Icy Hot smart relief pad to work with and incorporate into our brace. We have tried it out on a peers shoulder, and it worked exceptionally well. It caused a tingly sensation throughout the shoulder and applied heat to the areas in pain. We will now work with our brace and the pad together in attempt to have them work cohesively.

Next Steps

Our next steps are based off of the feedback that we received from Mr. Karas. We will first make the brace be able to lock at a 90º angle. Then as we think about how we want to make the brace bend back to stretch and test the strength of your knee, we will work with putting straps onto the brace in order to easily take the brace on and off of your knee. We will then start to apply the heating pad until we find the perfect way in which we want to insert it. We will be doing a lot of research throughout as we continue to move forward in our project.

Meeting with Mr. Karas

Our meeting with Mr. Karas was very beneficial to our project. It went exceptionally well. A description of what we talked about, and how the meeting went, is located under the City As Our Campus tap.

Second Prototype

Our second prototype has now been finished. We made a few changes to the brace, one small and one big. First off, the top strap has been expanded to be wider than the bottom, because your thigh is larger than your leg. Second, we have also made the top and bottom of the brace two separate parts, inserting a hole in the side circle. This allows us to use a screw to hold the two parts together, and also allows the brace to be able to bend. A picture of this CAD model is located under the visual log tab. This part is currently in the process of being printed.

City As Our Campus Update

We have our first meeting with Steve Karas, a physical therapist at Chatham University, on December 15th. His bio is found below.

https://www.chatham.edu/academics/programs/graduate/pt/faculty_get.cfm?FacultyID=151

Progress Update

We are currently working on taking apart a heating pad, which we have successfully done, and now have switched over to working on our CAD model in attempt to make in bend. We have already made a few changes to our brace since the first print and are now in the midst of making it bend. We will also figure out where we want to put the heating pad, so we will add this to the brace. Once we do so, we will print our next prototype and work on applying the heating pad to the brace.