Sufferers need consolation and mobility whereas labs need security and reliability, so why are supplies nonetheless letting each side down? The result’s a cycle of discomfort, early failures, and dear inefficiencies that frustrate each sufferers and practitioners.
That’s the place Filaflex steps in. As an alternative of asking clinicians to decide on between security, sturdiness, and suppleness, it delivers all three in a single materials household. Developed by Spanish 3D printing supplies producer Recreus, Filaflex is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament that has already earned the belief of orthopedics, podiatry, and prosthetics professionals.
Advances in 3D printing have made it attainable to tailor orthotic and prosthetic units to every affected person’s distinctive anatomy and situation. When these designs are delivered to life with Filaflex, personalization turns into each clinically efficient and sturdy, serving to ship larger consolation and reliability in affected person care.
Filaflex first entered medical 3D printing in 2014 when Gyrobot’s Steve Wooden used it to create the Flexy Hand, a 3D printed prosthetic hand with versatile hinges that changed conventional springs. He later developed Gensole, a free device for designing customized TPU insoles utilizing foot scans and variable densities.
Made attainable with Recreus’s Filaflex, these early tasks confirmed how versatile 3D printing may advance prosthetics and orthotics via sensible, patient-specific design.
What units Filaflex aside is not only efficiency on paper however confirmed leads to real-world use. Licensed underneath ISO 10993 requirements, Filaflex has handed impartial assessments for cytotoxicity, irritation, and sensitization. In plain phrases, which means it’s protected for direct pores and skin contact, one thing that’s important when units are worn on daily basis.
“One of many biggest benefits of Filaflex is its confirmed biocompatibility — it’s protected for direct contact with wholesome pores and skin. For foot orthotics, we frequently use a liner, however for finger or hand splints, it’s extraordinarily helpful to skip it. Sufferers can expose the fabric to water with out worrying about gradual drying or pores and skin points brought on by trapped moisture,” stated Clara Soriano, founder and orthotist at ORME.
Efficiency you may rely on
On the subject of medical units, security alone will not be sufficient with out the fitting mechanical conduct. Filaflex combines flexibility with what is called a reminiscence impact. Bend it, twist it, or stretch it, and the fabric snaps again into its unique kind with out deforming.
That resilience reveals up in prosthetic joints that transfer naturally and insoles that take in impression with each step, whereas on the similar time giving practitioners confidence that the machine will hold its kind and performance lengthy after it leaves the printer.
The proof of Filaflex’s reliability comes not solely from testing but additionally from use within the area. Greater than 240 prostheses have been printed with Filaflex, and none have suffered structural failures even in delicate, high-stress areas.
That type of monitor document issues in medication, the place reliability will not be elective. It additionally offers designers the liberty to create monolithic elements that keep away from weak factors like adhesives or joints. The print workflow advantages too: Filaflex 82A specifically has been in comparison with PLA by way of ease and consistency, however in contrast to inflexible plastics it produces elements that flex and get well, which helps laboratories lower down on trial-and-error and get sooner outcomes.
One of many qualities that makes Filaflex stand out is its adaptability, with totally different grades suited to totally different wants. Filaflex 95A and 82A present stability for semi-rigid or structural prosthetic elements, whereas Filaflex 70A, with its silicone-like texture and stretch of as much as 900%, is suited to prosthetics, orthopedic insoles, anatomical fashions, and versatile footwear.
On the softer finish, Filaflex 60A presents cushioning and shock absorption for orthotics and luxury layers.
For lighter and extra environment friendly elements, Filaflex Foamy introduces dynamic foaming expertise, producing elastic elements with adjustable hardness from 82A to 60A and decreased density. This makes it attainable to create footwear, biking elements, and damping parts whereas getting as much as 40% extra prints per spool.
Alongside it Filaflex 95 Foamy is designed particularly for light-weight, sturdy customized insoles. Its dynamic foaming expertise creates elements which might be tender but supportive and, in contrast to conventional foams, it holds up underneath repeated movement and physique weight with out breaking down.
This implies clinics can supply longer-lasting insoles that scale back alternative cycles, and sufferers can get pleasure from consolation that doesn’t fade after only a few months.
Consolation that lasts past step one
The sustainability advantages of Filaflex add one more dimension of worth. Conventional foams and resins have a tendency to wear down rapidly, which ends up in frequent replacements and extra waste for clinics and sufferers.
Then again, Filaflex 95 Foamy is engineered to retain its cushioning and supportive properties over time, even underneath fixed movement and physique weight. That prolonged sturdiness reduces the variety of discarded units, cuts down on materials use, and lowers long-term prices whereas nonetheless delivering consolation and efficiency. In a area the place prices and supplies matter as a lot as consolation, that is no small benefit.
“We imagine the subsequent decade in orthotics and prosthetics might be outlined by digital workflows that make personalization customary. With additive manufacturing and supplies like Filaflex, the sector can transfer past incremental enhancements to thoroughly new methods of designing and delivering care. Our dedication is to maintain constructing supplies that give clinicians the liberty to innovate with out compromising security or effectivity,” stated Ignacio García, CEO of Recreus.
Over time, Filaflex has turn out to be extra than simply one other filament. It represents a shift in how orthotics, prosthetics, and customized insoles may be made: safer for sufferers, simpler for labs, and extra dependable for on a regular basis use. For professionals prepared to maneuver previous the boundaries of standard supplies, Filaflex presents a transparent path ahead.
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Featured picture reveals a finger prosthesis with Filaflex 82A. Picture by way of Recreus.