Orthosis to Prevent Plagiocephaly in Infants

• Rasean Hyligar
• Ike Kabir
• Jinan Mohammad
• Ritu Shah

Advisor: Miiri Kotche, PhD, Anthony E. Felder, PhD

Sponsor: Thaddeus Holgado

Plagiocephaly, also known as “flat head syndrome,” is a condition that is prevalent in infants aged 0 to 4 months. The recent increase in plagiocephaly can be attributed to reducing the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and an increased amount of time newborns spend in carrier devices. If untreated, plagiocephaly can lead to cognitive and motor delays, visual impairments, and noticeable facial asymmetry. Current devices attempt to conquer plagiocephaly by either correcting or preventing the deformation of the head by only reducing the pressure in a susceptible region, which does not fully address the problem. In contrast, our device addresses plagiocephaly by redistributing the pressure and decreasing the time a region of the head spends in one position, therefore preventing the onset of the condition altogether. The proposed solution allows for the safe rotation of the infant’s head, which can prevent the onset of plagiocephaly. Our device functions by utilizing an air pump that fills an array of inflatable compartments. Through an actuation mechanism, an Arduino microcontroller and servo motors work in tandem to activate valves, which allow the pumped air access to the compartments using preset time-based intervals. Air is transferred to each compartment through a semi-closed loop system. Air compartments in the mattress inflate in an alternating manner to rotate the infant’s head 45 degrees off-axis from one side to another. The device complies with FDA class 2 standards for crib accessories. Our proposed device will benefit the growth of the infant and mitigate parent concerns.

See supporting documentation in the team’s Box drive.