Orthoses are medical devices that provide support to the patient's body. This unusual orthosis was designed by Luke Hale, a doctor in the UK. Hale founded a company called Pi-A Health, which uses technology to assist with patient recovery.

"I designed a new way of making orthoses from 3d scans, so they are strong and porous, a bit like bone," Hale writes. "We then applied the workflow to a patient with a neurological disorder who unfortunately couldn't wear regular collars."

Hale went through a number of design iterations:

"This neck collar is the result of digital methods of making, combining 3D scanning, procedural design and 3D printing. Its form is derived from an algorithm that mimics the structure of bone, creating a collar that is light and strong. The process is quicker and more responsive to patient feedback than traditional methods of manually casting, sculpting and moulding plastic."

"In collaboration with the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Pi-A developed this collar for a patient with a neurodegenerative disorder, it is now worn every day. It has led to improvements in the patient's posture and breathing where other devices had failed."