ThermoFit

Abstract

Smart orthoses hold great potential for intelligent rehabilitation monitoring and training. However, most of these electronic assistive devices are typically too difficult for daily use and challenging to modify to accommodate variations in body shape and medical needs. For existing clinicians, the customization pipeline of these smart devices imposes significant learning costs. This paper introduces ThermoFit, an end-to-end design and fabrication pipeline for thermoforming smart orthoses that adheres to the clinically accepted procedure. ThermoFit enables the shapes and electronics positions of smart orthoses to conform to bodies and allows rapid iteration by integrating low-cost Low-Temperature Thermoplastics (LTTPs) with custom metamaterial structures and electronic components. Specifically, three types of metamaterial structures are used in LTTPs to reduce the wrinkles caused by the thermoforming process and to permit component position adjustment and joint movement. A design tool prototype aids in generating metamaterial patterns and optimizing component placement and circuit routing. Three applications show that ThermoFit can be shaped on bodies to different wearables. Finally, a hands-on study with a clinician verifies the user-friendliness of thermoforming smart orthosis, and technical evaluations demonstrate fabrication efficiency and electronic continuity.

Experimental and numerical investigations on the thermoforming of 3D-printed polylactic acid parts

“…Nonetheless, this hybrid manufacturing approach paves the way for a variety of interesting and useful applications (Mäntyjärvi et al. , 2019; Wang et al. , 2023) that deserve further investigation.…”

“…In this regard, the research presented by Wang et al. proposed an enhanced orthoses design that facilitates the integration of sensors (Wang et al. , 2023).…”

Preparation and Performance Analysis of 3D Thermoformed Fluidic Polymer Temperature Sensors for Aquatic and Terrestrial Applications

“…The realm of sensor technology has been dynamically evolving with the integration of advanced fabrication techniques. Thermoforming, as a pivotal process, has garnered substantial interest for its potential to create versatile, customizable, and functional printed sensors tailored for applications such as temperature, strain, and pressure measurements [14][15][16][17][18]. This synthesis of thermoforming with sensor fabrication has paved the way for the development of sensors that not only exhibit enhanced sensitivity and accuracy but also offer intricate geometries that are challenging to achieve through conventional methods.…”