But what about that turnaround time??
ActivArmor is manufactured in an off-site, FDA registered medical device manufacturing center to save clinics staff time, expertise and space… so what does a patient with a broken arm do during the turnaround time to the clinic?
“It’s very easy for patients to come in, for us to scan them, and then to get a 3D printed cast back to them extremely quickly.”
– Dr. Kevin Kaplan, MD
When someone breaks their arm, they usually go to the Emergency room, where they are placed in a temporary splint and then sent to an orthopedic surgeon, who will diagnose them and determine what sort of treatment is required.
The treatment could be to immobilize the patient immediately in a cast (e.g. in the case of a non-displaced, stable fracture) or in a splint (e.g. for a soft tissue injury or sprain), closed reduction (setting the bone without surgery), and open reduction (surgical bone realignment).
In most cases with an acute injury, a patient will be swollen when they come into their first orthopedic visit. So they are usually put in a compression splint or a temporary cast for a week or so, which will become loose as the edema resolves, and have to be replaced at the follow up visit.
With ActivArmor, the exact same process occurs, except when the swelling goes down, the patient will undergo a safe, touch-free, 30 second scan for an ActivArmor device and placed back into their temporary solution (compression/temp splint or bi-valved and wrapped cast) for 3-4 business days until the device arrives at the clinic. (ActivArmor provides free temp splints to the clinic for use during this turnaround time if they choose.) The appointment time is greatly reduced, as the patient does not need to have a cast applied and wait for it to dry, and the clinic does not have to have any supply inventory or staff time for prep, application of the cast and clean-up.
When the device arrives, the patient will need to stop into the clinic to have their ActivArmor device popped on, and the fit confirmed, in moments.
This eliminates all future casting and splinting needs throughout the course of healing for the patient… saving time AND money!
Patients will not have to have their casts cut off and re-applied for each subsequent exam and x-ray, and will not have to have any additional appointments for replacement of their cast due to sweat, wet cast, skin irritation or smell. In addition, patients requiring a splint for continued support through the healing phases, will not have to pay for or be fitted with a second splint, as ActivArmor easily transitions from a non-removable cast to a removable splint.
Patients saving time casting, having their cast cut off and re-applied multiple times, and eliminating future splinting costs, find the pick-up trip worthwhile.
ActivArmor may not eliminate your time in a cast completely, but it can reduce your time in a traditional cast to a week from 4 to 12 weeks or longer… giving you your lifestyle freedoms back for the majority of your healing time!
In addition, as ActivArmor is watersafe and breathable, the patient can resume more normal activities while immobilized (such as showering, sweating, doing the dishes, gardening, etc.) The clinics benefit financially by multiplying their patient throughput with a 30-second scan instead of casting and eliminating all future casting for that patient, plus the staff time, inventory, and clinic space savings.
