NRI: Collaborative Research: Dynamic Braces for Quantification and Treatment of Abnormal Curves in the Human Spine

特发性脊柱侧弯是一种脊柱左/右曲较强的情况，形成C形或S形，而不是直线。大约2%到3%的青少年患有这种疾病，大约每500人中就有1人需要佩戴矫正牙套直到骨骼成熟，大约每5000人中就有1人需要进行脊柱手术。典型的脊柱侧弯支具戴在躯干和臀部周围，并完全固定上半身，这大大降低了生活质量。该项目将展示一种混合动力支具，用于矫正脊柱侧弯，同时最大限度地减少对日常生活活动的影响。根据佩戴者的治疗需求量身定做的顺应性被动支架允许更大的行动自由，但不能对姿势的变化或佩戴者病情更渐进的演变做出反应。主动支撑提供动态响应的校正力，但需要耗电的电机，并且极大地增加了重量和复杂性。该项目将展示一种混合方法，提供移动自由和动态响应，但不需要完全主动设计的重量和功率要求。该项目将为动态支具协作机器人的设计，以及对脊柱异常的量化和治疗效果的评估奠定科学基础。这些动态矫正器将被设计成在脊柱上调节所需方向的矫正力，同时仍允许使用者进行典型的日常生活活动。该项目将研究动态支具有可能改变这一领域的治疗方法的假设，因为它们可以在空间和时间上提供对脊柱矫正力的有效控制。科学研究将表征脊柱在特定姿势和不同功能时的空间僵硬。这些研究将针对脊柱异常患者的治疗结果。此外，该项目将培训学生进行跨学科研究，并将导致未来的研讨会和课程吸引工程师、临床医生、医务人员和高中生，激励他们在STEM工作。

Idiopathic scoliosis is a condition in which the spine develops a strong left/right curvature, forming a C- or S-shape instead of a straight line. Approximately 2% to 3% of adolescents suffer from the disorder, with about 1 in 500 required to wear corrective braces until skeletal maturity, and about 1 in 5,000 requiring spinal surgery. A typical scoliosis brace is worn around the trunk and hips, and completely immobilizes the upper body, which substantially degrades quality of life. This project will demonstrate a hybrid dynamic brace for correcting scoliosis, while minimally affecting the activities of daily living. Compliant passive braces tailored to the treatment needs of individual wearers allow greater freedom of movement, but cannot respond to changes in posture or more gradual evolution of the wearer's condition. Active braces provide dynamically responsive corrective forces, but require power-hungry motors, and greatly increase weight and complexity. This project will demonstrate a hybrid approach, providing freedom of movement and dynamic response, but without the weight and power requirements of fully active designs. The result is essentially a wearable robot that continually monitors and responds to the needs of the user.This project will lay the scientific foundation for the design of dynamic brace co-robots, and the evaluation of their effectiveness for both quantification and treatment of the abnormal spine. These dynamic braces will be designed to modulate the corrective forces on the spine in desired directions while still allowing the users to perform typical activities of daily life. The project will investigate the hypothesis that dynamic braces have the potential to transform treatment in this field, as these can provide effective control of corrective forces on the spine both spatially and temporally. The scientific studies will characterize the spatial stiffness of the spine in a specific pose and during different functions. The studies will target treatment outcomes in subjects with abnormal spine. Furthermore, this project will train students in interdisciplinary research and will result in future workshops and courses appealing to engineers, clinicians, medical caregivers, and high school students, motivating careers in STEM.