Orthoses are used to assist movement generally by relieving load bearing stress, or restricting movement in a particular direction. The current process of producing a custom-fit orthosis involves taking a mold of a patient's body, then sending the mold to a lab which casts the prosthesis using a high temperature plastic that is then returned to the doctor to be fitted to the patient. It is a time and labor intensive, multi-step process. This keeps adequate care from being accessed by millions of amputees and maimed individuals in developing countries. This team has developed a patent-pending novel type of plastics which enables orthopedic and prosthetic devices to be molded directly onto a patient, thereby resulting in a higher-quality solution delivered to patients in a single office visit.
This team has developed the first catalyst-free malleable polyimine which fundamentally behaves like a classic thermoset at ambient conditions yet can be reprocessed by application of either heat or water. The proposed material is mechanically stronger than most materials currently used for orthotic inserts. The material's unique malleability (based on imine-exchange reactions within the polymer network) allows the material to be molded directly onto the human body. Once cooled, the material will remain rigid even at elevated body temperatures. The material can be manufactured in a single step from commercially available monomers, and only requires ethanol as solvent.
Intellectual merits: Dynamic covalent chemistry enables bond exchange reactions within a polymer network. The polyimine networks studied in this project display mechanical strengths comparable to tough thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene nylons, yet exhibit much lower processing temperatures. Broader impacts: The remoldable, reusable, recyclable plastic material is one of the first of the coming generation of plastics which will enable recyclable thermoset materials for nearly every (currently unrecyclable) thermoset application. Outcomes: The NSF I-CORPS program enabled the PI’s team to identify and pursue promising leads for product-market fit, which is necessary for the successful commercialization of this promising technology. It has resulted in the team’s pursuit of solutions for advanced composites with applications in sporting goods, personal protective equipment, and orthotics and prosthetics. The team has formed a start-up company, Mallinda LLC, which is in the process of licensing the polymer technology from the University of Colorado, and is also in the process of supplying material samples and Minimum Viable Products to 10 companies which are potential partners, potential customers, or both. Significantly the team has raised $200,000 in grant support from the state of Colorado and the University, has applied for an NSF SBIR grant, and has begun raising angel capital. The technology has found traction with nearly a dozen potential partner companies that are requesting material samples for further evaluation of commercialization potential.
