Patent ID: 8419668

Claim:
A compact package for making an orthopedic cast, the package comprising: a fabric folded and compressed into a coin shape having a height of approximately 1 cm and a diameter of approximately 2 cm, having an initial over-all surface area prior to being saturated with water, that expands to final over-all surface area after saturation with water that is larger by a factor greater than 50 than the initial over-all surface area prior to water saturation in a first period of time; a water-curable material, impregnated into the fabric prior to the fabric being folded and compressed, so that when the material is saturated with water, the material cures over a second period of time to become rigid, wherein the second period of time is substantially longer than the first period of time, so that for use, the fabric impregnated with the material may be immersed in water and expanded, placed around a portion of a body for which the orthopedic cast is desired, and, after permitting the second period time to elapse, the material has become rigid so as to form the orthopedic cast.