New solutions for injury care and recovery are being developed at NSTU-NETI

Scientists at NSTU-NETI have launched a project to create individual means of immobilization "Shield" based on polymer fast—hardening materials - it takes about two minutes after removing the tire from the container materials. The prototype will be ready in the summer of 2026.

According to Ildar Bikmaev, associate professor of the Department of Occupational Safety at the Faculty of Energy of NSTU-NETI, the result of the work will be the creation of a fundamentally new means of immobilization, which will create a "framework" to ensure immobility of the affected part of the body.

This development can replace existing cumbersome and impractical means of immobilization and find application in medicine, cosmetology, sports, manufacturing, everyday life, military, rescue and will take its place in every first-aid kit. There are plans to create orthoses for fingers, as well as means of immobilization for limbs and other body segments.

Maria Melnikova, senior lecturer at the Department of Social Work and Social Anthropology at the Institute of Social Technologies of NSTU-NETI, explained that the development will differ from existing domestic and foreign analogues in its compact size, which will allow it to be carried in your pocket, and ease of use — the tool will quickly take the form of a body segment.

For example, if a finger is injured or a nail plate is treated, it will be enough to remove the orthosis from the package, attach it to the affected limb, giving it a comfortable shape, and wait a few seconds until it hardens.

Another quality of the "Shield" is lightness, which will be achieved due to the openwork design. "We plan to make our orthoses delicate: firstly, it is aesthetically pleasing, and secondly, a tool with a continuous patterned pattern will ensure hygiene of the damaged area and make the restoration process quick and easy," said Maria Melnikova, adding that the development also implies different color solutions.