Way back in grade school, breaking your arm was kind of awesome because you got to wear a cast that everyone signed. Once you grow up, though, wearing a cast is a lot less desirable. Turkish industrial designer Deniz Karasahin has invented a 3D printed cast that uses ultrasound to heal bones quicker than a traditional cast.

The Osteoid cast kind of looks like a fashion accessory. Its multiple cutouts resemble a carefully-crafted design, but they are actually ventilation holes that keep away the itchy, musty, stinky sensations of plaster casts. It’s hooked up to low-intensity ultrasound for 20 minutes a day, which the designer says can decrease the healing time significantly.

The healing process can be reduced by up to 38% for certain fractures and up to 80% for others. FastCo talked to Dr. Michael Hausman, a hand surgeon at Mt. Sinai Hospital, about the technology. He is optimistic and confirms that ultrasound has been proven to reduce healing times. He even agrees that the design is far more attractive than traditional casts. The only hurdle that he can see – and one that is sure to weigh on plenty of other minds – is whether the next-generation cast will be affordable.

The post 3D Printed Ultrasound Cast Doubles as a Fashion Statement first appeared on Gajitz.

The Mass Effect video games are full of awesome things, but one that we desperately wish we had is Medi-gel. This in-game substance heals wounds instantly, which we’d love to be able to do in the real world. Two students are making this video game fantasy a reality by inventing their own real-world version of Medi-Gel called Veti-Gel. It’s made of plant-based materials which form a sort of artificial skin tissue when applied to a wound, no matter how large the wound might be. The video below shows the salve’s power as it is applied to a piece of raw pork that’s been filled with blood. Caution: the video is kind of disgusting and contains a lot of blood.

Veti-Gel works by sealing off the wound instantly and promoting rapid clotting and healing. According to Joe Landolina and Kenny Mai, the creators of Veti-Gel, the substance is so powerful that it can even stop bleeding on internal organs or major arteries. Veti-Gel is the only product of its kind that is completely plant-based and doesn’t require pressure to be applied to the wound after the gel is smeared on. The two students have formed a company called Suneris to continue working on this miraculous product. Until it hits the market, we’ll just have to be content to keep using Spongebob bandages to protect our surprisingly numerous paper cuts and skinned knees.

The post Spray-On Bandage Closes Even Serious Wounds Instantly first appeared on Gajitz.