CRANIOSAFE

Following a craniectomy, patients are left with a large and visually obvious skull defect, and report poorer coordination and balance. This results in higher rates of falls, as well as an increased rate of self-consciousness where patients report feeling less secure about leaving their homes and engaging in their usual social activities for fear of unwanted attention, stigmatization, or injury to their more vulnerable head. Presently no protective headgear solution exists locally for these patients.

The CranioSafe provides protection, comfort, and ease of use while being packaged in an inconspicuous design which would not look out of place in the public setting. Our design utilizes a layer of non-Newtonian foam padding inside of a 3D printed perforated outer shell, with an easy to adjust dial, suitable for patients with unilateral deficits. This device fills a current gap in neurosurgical care, with demand for it demonstrated during our initial surveys amongst patients and their caregivers. Participants from our first clinical trial reported high rates of user satisfaction, and increased confidence to engage in social situations.