Abstract
Disruptive 3D technologies, such as reverse engineering (RE) and additive manufacturing (AM), when applied in the medical field enable the development of new methods for personalized and non-invasive treatments. When referring to the monitoring of pectus excavatum, one of the most common thoracic malformations, 3D acquisition of the patient chest proved to be a straightforward method for assessing and measuring chest deformation. Unfortunately, such systems are usually available in a dedicated facility, can be operated only by specialized doctors with the support of engineers and can be used only with patients on site. It is therefore impossible to perform any routine check-up when the patient is unable to reach the outpatient clinic. The COVID19 pandemic situation has placed even greater restrictions on patient mobility, worsening this problem. To deal with this issue, a new low-cost portable optical scanner for monitoring pectus excavatum is proposed in this work. The scanner, named Thor 2.0, allows a remote diagnostic approach, offering the possibility to perform routine check-ups telematically. Usability tests confirmed the user-friendly nature of the devised system. The instrument was used at the Meyer Children’s Hospital (Florence, Italy) chest-malformations center to treat PE patients. The performed measurements proved to be in line with the current state of the art.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The choice to monitor the effectiveness of Vacuum Bell (VB) resulted from the fact that, compared to surgery, VB therapy can be effectively applied to children from 5 to 6 years old, as the application is easy and the side effects are typically minor and self-limited
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Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior thoracic wall, with an estimated occurrence of 1 in 300–1000 live births (M:F = 3–5:1) [1]. It can lead to a variety of clinical conditions, ranging from patients with cosmetic defects, which may cause psychological distress, to those with severe cardiopulmonary impairment, with exercise intolerance and dyspnea [2]. The chest deformity is already visible during the first year of life and typically progresses with pubertal growth [3]. Surgical procedures like the Nuss minimally-invasive procedure (MIRPE)
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