Cervical Collars

Cervical collars are neck braces used for suspected spinal trauma and for post-surgical stabilization of the spine. Current cervical collars allow too much freedom of movement and have limited options for an individualized fit. I am using granular jamming and 3-D printing to resolve those problems. Granular jamming occurs when granular media, like coffee grounds, are placed under vacuum and become hard and rigid; by contrast, when not under vacuum, the bladder can be molded to the patient’s neck.

The previous prototype uses channels cut into a flat print at varying angles and spacing to allow the collar to fold up into a complex 3-D shape rather than a simple cone or cylinder. I used a 3-D scan of a person’s head, neck, and shoulders to create the initial 3-D part. Then, using Solidworks tools and a VBA script, I was able to flatten the collar into a printable shape. I placed in the top 10 engineering projects at LSU’s Discover Day of Spring 2021 with that design.

The next iteration involves cutting out the middle section of the 3-D printed shell to create two rings. These rings will then be connected by adjustable length struts to form a Stewart’s platform¹. This allows complete control of the rings position relative to each other. The nitrile rubber bladders fill the space between the collar and the neck.