Are traditional head size and shape measurements useful in modern medical design? A literature review

Abstract

Scalp cooling is a clinically proven treatment for addressing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). Previous studies show that the efficacy of this treatment relies on accurate cranial data so that designers can produce close-fitting scalp cooling caps. The cephalic index is often used, but are that data still accurate? In this literature review, we identified and explored previous studies concerning head size and shape with the goal of identifying shortcomings for design purposes. The literature review indicates that a more suitable method is needed to collect data to enable mass customisation of scalp cooling caps. Head data are more complex for design.

Human head analysis for mass customisation in medical design: A pilot study

“…We collected anthropometric data from cephalic, circumference, and shape profiles to establish how accurate and viable each method was for gathering data against what we currently know from prior Paxman studies. 1,4,5,12 Fifty-five per cent of the pilot study participants reported poor fit in the crown area. This finding was unexpected given that 55 per cent of the participants are of Caucasian background, and they used a Caucasian style cap.…”

“…Drawing from our extensive literature review 1 and the data we gathered in our initial pilot study, we are developing HudPAX Cranial Index methods to compliment where the cephalic index cannot be used as a standalone measure.…”

Investigation of Mass Customization within Healthcare Orientated Human Head Data Collection for Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Prevention

“…This research will establish a global data collection practice for industry 4.0 applicable Mass Customization (MC) practices for customisable wearable cooling technology utilizing human-centered parameters with a heavy focus on healthcare professional-orientated data collection. Earlier data was collected in the UK by the design teams [3,4]; this research collects data primarily from Singapore where protocols were developed to enable researchers beyond the design team to train healthcare professionals to lead this data collection in the design process for the first time. The results from this study are presented to validate the usefulness of this approach as a new method for designers to implement mass customisation through CAD of wearable devices.…”