Dynamic Braces for Kids with Scoliosis
From: Medical Design Technology - 09/18/2015

Sunil Agrawal, professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and
regenerative medicine at Columbia Engineering, is working on solving the
problem. He and his collaborators - David P. Roye, St. Giles Foundation
Professor of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at the Columbia University Medical
Center, and Charles Kim, professor of mechanical engineering at Bucknell
University - are developing a dynamic spine brace that is more flexible than
the rigid braces now in use. Their work is so promising that they have just
won a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation's National
Robotics Initiative.

Agrawal and his team have already developed prototype wearable spine braces
that consist of rings that fit on the human torso. These rings are
dynamically actuated by servomotors placed on adjacent rings to control the
force or position applied on the human body. Onboard sensors record the force
and motion data and transmit the information to a host computer for
monitoring and adjusting the treatment. The team has also developed a second
brace that is fully passive, made of compliant components able to adjust
stiffness in specific directions. However, both these braces have drawbacks.
The dynamic brace needs an active power source while the passive brace cannot
provide active controls.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2015/09/dynamic-braces-kids-scoliosis

Links:
Dynamic Braces for Kids with Scoliosis Now in Development
http://engineering.columbia.edu/dynamic-braces-kids-scoliosis-now-development
http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2015/09/dynamic-braces-kids-scoliosis-now-development

Sunil Agrawal
http://me.columbia.edu/sunil-agrawal

Robotics and Rehabilitation Laboratory
http://roar.me.columbia.edu

Dynamic Braces for Quantification and Treatment of Abnormal Curves in the
  Human Spine
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1527087

Columbia University Professor Develops Dynamic Scoliosis Brace for Children
http://www.ptproductsonline.com/2015/09/columbia-university-professor-develops-dynamic-scoliosis-brace-children