Designing conceptual stuff is easy. Designing real world products that affect and improve lives is the real challenge. The Bend is a medical finger-splint with a revolutionary design. Finger bone fractures can be painful, however dislocations of bones isn’t just about pain, if not treated well, you could lose functionality of that finger for life. The bend makes use of a polymer’s tensile strength, and clever design to provide a medical solution that is not just effective, it’s non-invasive too. Deviating from current medical procedures that require surgery, the Bend just needs a long fingernail. A piece of thread is tied to the fingernail at one end, and the Bend splint at the other. The string is then wound around the splint, so that the finger is pulled into shape again, allowing the bones to align properly. The bend even allows for finger movement, letting the patient heal as well as recover from the injury as quick as possible!
Designers: Lim Loren, Russell Chew, Division of Industrial Design & Department of Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery.
