Case Study
Burn Masks
Image Science and Stereolithography
Burn masks, plastic shields worn by patients with severe facial burns, are used as a treatment device to prevent scar tissue from forming. Burn patients are required to wear the mask for at least 23 hours a day between tissue reconstructive surgery sessions.
Company: Total Contact
Project: Burn Masks
The traditional methods for producing burn masks vary and are never simple. The most conventional way is to form a mold by applying a plaster material to the patient's face.
The process can be extremely anxiety-provoking for the patient since their eyes and mouth are completely covered throughout the drying process. The weight of the plaster can shift the tissue on the face, making it virtually impossible to get an exact replication.
Latest Challenge: Creating a Quick, More Accurate Positive Form
Jennifer Whitestone, biomedical engineer and president of Total Contact developed a new concept for creating burn masks while working for Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. From the outset, Total Contact produced positive forms using a much more efficient production method called image science, or non-contact surface scanning and stereolithography (SL) technology. Bastech, Inc., a rapid prototyping service bureau, was enlisted by Whitestone to create the burn mask positive forms during the development phase of this project.
Total Contact’s process begins with a non-invasive, painless laser scan that captures a burn patient's facial contours in less than 15 seconds. The data from the scan is formatted for SL, which is then used to create the form. A plastic material is then vacuum-formed over the form, producing the final mask. The resulting protective mask is a very precise representation of the patients facial contours. A more precise fit equals quicker healing and less scar tissue.
Application & Results
A five-year-old child and his
family flew from their Colorado home to have a burn mask developed. Prior to
their visit, physicians and occupational therapists had developed two burn
masks using the conventional plaster method for the child, but encountered
unsatisfactory results. Total Contact’s new method enabled the child
and his family to return to Colorado in less than 48 hours with a complete,
more accurately fitting mask. Today the child's soft tissue is healing better
due to the accuracy of the burn mask, creating smoother skin surfaces and causing
less abnormal scarring.
