IP Requirements:

• CHOA IP

Experience Requirements:

• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Circuits
• Materials Engineering
  

Pectus carinatum is a condition where the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum (breastbone) does not grow in a normal way. This condition, affecting 1 in 1000 children in the United States, causes the chest or ribs to jut outward. Traditionally, pectus carinatum is treated with a custom chest orthosis (brace) which is designed to push the breastbone back towards a normal “flat” position. It is worn over the course of time until a child reaches skeletal maturity. Unfortunately, many children struggle to comply with proper bracing protocol in terms of recommended daily hours of wear and force applied by the brace onto the chest wall. Initiating bracing at an early age while the chest wall is still flexible is a great way to promote desirable results.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta currently utilizes two different types of pectus carinatum orthoses: 1) Traditional Pectus Carinatum Orthosis 2) FMF Dynamic Compressor System. The traditional device wraps around the child’s torso (trunk) and places pressure on the front part of the child’s chest where it protrudes the most as well as the child’s back for resistance. It is comprised of two compression pads, two molded aluminum bars, and a Velcro fastening system. The clinician uses visual perceived tension to determine how tight to make the brace as there is no formal metric utilized to determine force being applied. The FMF Dynamic Compressor System also includes a compression plate which pushes on the prominence, but it further provides a method for measuring force exerted. Unfortunately, the mechanism used to measure force is bulky, expensive, and unrealistic for daily wear. There is currently no simple way for children and their parents to track both daily wear and applied force for pectus carinatum braces at home.