Scientists from Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) have created a prosthesis design for a child that can stretch as the child grows. This was made possible by the use of auxetics—materials that change their structure under load.
The auxetic consists of specially designed elementary cells and forms a lattice structure resembling modified honeycomb
This design is reproduced using additive technologies (3D printing). It can be used to create prosthetic sockets and new types of stents (a device to expand narrowed or blocked vessels).
Testing of Material for Prostheses
First, the specialists subjected the mesh material to load, and then placed a filler in its voids. It is the filler that controls the response of the prosthesis socket structure to external impact.
According to Mikhail Tashkinov, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, it was important to study and understand the relationship between the stiffness and strength of composites with an auxetic lattice. Based on the innovative material, it is possible to create an individual biomedical product for a specific patient, he concluded.
