Columbia Technology Ventures

Robotic traction head-neck brace for improved mobility

This technology is a wearable head-neck brace for the treatment of spinal cord injuries through cervical traction with active assistance in head motion and advanced control of applied traction forces.

Unmet Need: Portable traction device for treatment of and preparatory interventions for spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injury patients benefit from cervical traction devices to either directly treat spine trauma or improve outcomes for an upcoming surgery through stretching the neck to reduce compression pressure and tension. Existing traction devices are bulky and cumbersome and can only control the tensile force on the head along one specific direction, providing limited mobility to the user and minimal control to the medical provider. Given the high setup cost and capital equipment required, the accessibility of these treatments is also limited to specialized centers.

The Technology: Wearable head-neck traction brace with advanced controls and monitoring tools

This technology is a wearable motor-driven head-neck traction brace that improves patient experience and provides clinicians the flexibility to monitor and change spinal cord injury treatment plans. The technology includes a graphical user interface that controls the vertical traction force applied on the neck across different neck orientations and allows for real-time data observation. The brace is also designed to be compact and portable, improving user mobility and enabling a patient to participate in a wider range of day-to-day activities and therapies. The frame is structured for comfort and wearability in addition to the dimensional flexibility to adapt to both children and adults.

Applications:

  • Treatment for spinal injury recovery
  • Tool to improve surgical safety and efficacy
  • Intervention tool for cervical disk degeneration
  • Treatment for nerve root impediment
  • Tool to measure and monitor head-neck motions
  • Device to improve patient mobility and quality of life
  • Tool to direct and stabilize head orientation during human studies

Advantages:

  • Independent control of vertical translation of applied traction force
  • Full head-neck flexibility in both flexion-extension and lateral bending
  • Traction force modulation over time in an algorithmically sophisticated method
  • Improved device portability and wearability
  • Adaptability across a range of patient ages

Lead Inventor:

Sunil K. Agrawal, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

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