Scoliosis brace for girls, age 8-16
AZM (
Increased Acceptance by target group
For girls age 12 to 16 its no fun to wear a scoliosis brace. Current designs look more like stiff harnesses and make it difficult to wear trendy or tight fitting clothing.
Because of this they often only wear the brace at home and as a result the targeted correction is not reached.
To increase the acceptance by this specific target group WeLL Design developed in close cooperation with TNO, Orthopedie 2000 and IDEE for AZM a user-friendly brace that meets the wishes of the users.
What is scoliosis?
Current brace design
Scoliosis is a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine. During puberty this deformity may increase because the body is growing faster during this period in life. A scoliosis brace prevents the increase of this deformity. In order to optimize the corrective effect these braces are tailor made.
The brace should be worn 23 hours a day until the growth stops approximately at the age of 16.
Co design: target group insights
Persona's
Co design and context mapping played an important role in the development process. Interviews with the potential users and their parents gave important insights in the preferred designs and usability aspects.
The ideal brace shall not influence daily life and can be worn unobtrusive under all types of clothing.
Usability
Testing of the pressure sensors
The new brace can be put on by the users themselves. The build-in pressure sensors give instant feedback to the user and stimulate a correct and tight enough fitting.
An attractive design; a garment instead of a harness
Design sketches
Serial production of a tailor made brace is realized by rapid manufacturing. In this way the brace can be as thin as possible and comfortably shaped. An attractive perforation pattern provides ventilation and lowers the weight. Fabric, pressure equalizing materials and stiffening parts are integrated in the design. The brace becomes a garment instead of a harness.
Engineering: the optimal adjustment
The upper body is spirally pushed upwards
WeLL Design analyzed the optimum corrective method. The rigid thorax correction part was exchanged by a belt which is much less visible underneath the clothing
The brace is currently under evaluation by AZM
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