A RICH AND DYNAMIC ECOSYSTEM
SWIBRACE | 28.08.2020

Picture : Frédéric Schuind, founder of Swibrace and a surgeon at the Université libre de Bruxelles hospital.

Wrist fractures are a common injury, with close to 1.5 million cases every year in Europe alone. Most patients are seniors, a group that is particularly vulnerable to the side-effects of surgery. The Fribourg start-up Swibrace decided to create a non-invasive alternative. “We have developed an orthopedic solution that is an effective substitute to plaster casts and can do away with invasive wrist surgery for simple fractures. This drastically reduces the risk of complications and loss of mobility”, explains Frédéric Schuind, founder of Swibrace and a surgeon at the Université libre de Bruxelles hospital.

How does the Swibrace work? Within a matter of minutes, the start-up’s patented technology creates a digital model of a splint based on a photo of the patient’s uninjured wrist. The next step is to 3D print the brace. Within three days, the patient has a custom brace that is tailor-made to their specific injury. “Compared to conventional immobilization devices, our solution is superior in terms of design, comfort and weight – the brace weighs less than 300 grams”, notes Charlotte Raemy, Business Developer at Swibrace.

Process automation

It was in Fribourg where Frédéric Schuind quickly found the support he needed to turn his idea into an actual product. “It was advice from Pascal Bovet, the director of Innosquare, which prompted me in early 2017 to launch Swibrace.” The mechanical engineering department at the Fribourg School of Engineering and Architecture (HEIA-FR) set about examining the technical feasibility of the Belgian-Swiss surgeon’s project.

Unfortunately, the prototype proved too expensive. “Although the raw material is relatively cheap, it was the labor costs that drove up the price tag. It was therefore imperative that we automated the process “, explains Prof. Schuind. He contacted Idiap, a research institute based in Martigny, and renowned for its bio-imaging and visual recognition expertise. A third partner, Bern University Hospital, tested the various prototypes, which were all produced by the HEIA-FR, on volunteer patients and clinically validated the results.” Hand surgeon Prof. Esther Vögelin expressed a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for our technology, and gave us valuable, objective feedback.”

The market launch of the Swibrace solution is scheduled for summer 2021. For Charlotte Raemy, “Fribourg has a rich and dynamic ecosystem which allowed us to tap into the expertise and knowledge of the HEIA-FR and financial support from the Fribourg Development Agency and Fri Up. We are extremely fortunate.”