2022 Galleries
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Galleries // 2022 Spark:Health // FITED Brace
FITED Brace
Winner - Platinum
Competition: Spark:Health
Designer: Erdem Ay - Founder / CEO
Design Type: Health Enhancement
Company / Organization / School: FITED
Team Members: Erdem Ay, Wout Verswijveren, Berke Can Malkoç & Celia Lorente Camacho
Scoliosis is a genetic disease that affects 4% of the worldwide population. It causes a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty in adolescents. Scoliosis can be treated using scoliosis braces or through invasive spine surgery. Scoliosis bracing, as a non-invasive treatment, is preferred for children due to risks involved in invasive spine surgery. Scoliosis braces can minimize the risk of spine surgery by 72%. Current scoliosis braces are hand-made from thermoformable polymers and are poorly constructed, bulky, and painful for most juvenile patients. Social stress, poor psychological effect, and reduced daily activity contribute to noncompliance in pediatric patients. Studies show just 14.5% are compliant. The elegant and lightweight 'FITED 3D Printed Scoliosis Braces' made using HP 3D printing technology are meant to boost patient compliance and improve treatment outcomes while eliminating patient pain, expense, and manufacture time. FITED Braces are anatomically exact, allowing patients to maintain regular activities. Low-profile FITED Braces can be hidden beneath clothing. This improves the scoliosis patient's living conditions and reduces the trauma associated with wearing bulky devices. FITED Braces offer better results, enhanced patient comfort and compliance, all within a beautiful, lightweight design.
JUDGES COMMENTS:
"Great way to improve usability."
"Very interesting...especially the idea of a brace that is meant to be seen as it is "fashion."
