Engineered for Their Anatomy.
Designed for Their Comfort.
Custom 3D-printed non-invasive devices for kids with complex and asymmetric pectus deformities. Because treatment should fit the child—not the other way around.
Real-time parametric mapping: Displays the scanned asymmetrical thoracic contour mapped to Aligna’s custom dual-chamber seal interface.
A Brother’s Pain. An Engineer’s Answer.
Standard medical devices forced the chest to fit the device. We believed the device should fit the chest.
The Everyday Reality
Every night, a younger brother cried—not from invasive blood draws, needles, or hospital X-rays, but from his standard off-the-shelf pectus treatment device. It was painfully rigid, heavy, and constantly slipped across his ribs during normal movement.
The Frustration
"MOOOOOM, can I please take it off?"
Two minutes into wearing it, the complaints began. Months of endurance yielded zero structural improvement because rigid, generic suction cups were trying to seal over complex, non-symmetrical bone structures.
The Engineering Breakthrough
Asymmetric and mixed pectus deformities require two opposite forces at once: targeted compression for protruding cartilage (carinatum) and vacuum suction for sunken sternums (excavatum). A standard off-the-shelf suction cup could never solve both simultaneously.
The founder—a Medical Device Engineer—began 3D-scanning, modeling, and printing custom hybrid interfaces at home. When tailored precisely to the brother’s unique body contour, the treatment finally became pain-free and effective.
"My brother taught me that sometimes the most important engineering decision is deciding whether the problem has been defined correctly in the first place."
Why $650 Silicone Devices Are Failing Kids
Standard commercial vacuum bells are often made of simple molded silicone, yet routinely cost families $650 to $1,500 out-of-pocket because insurance companies label them "cosmetic."
"When a device fits comfortably, children actually wear it. That single change shifts treatment success from total failure to over 80% non-invasive correction."
Pectus Deformities Are Common.
Fits Are Not.
Chest walls are as unique as fingerprints. Standard off-the-shelf options fail when anatomy departs from textbook symmetry.
1 in 300 to 400 Births
Pectus excavatum (sunken chest) and pectus carinatum (pigeon chest) affect thousands of adolescents.
Crucially, a huge percentage suffer from asymmetric or mixed pectus—where one side sinks while the adjacent ribs protrude. Standard round devices cannot seal or correct this dual dynamic.
Denied as "Cosmetic"
Most major insurance carriers routinely classify non-invasive pectus braces and vacuum bells as cosmetic or investigational.
Families are routinely left with $650 to $1,500+ out-of-pocket costs for mass-manufactured silicone pieces that often end up sitting unused in a closet due to severe discomfort.
Compliance Equals Correction
Non-invasive therapy boasts an 80%+ success rate in clinical literature—but only when worn 1 to 3 hours daily for up to 12-24 months.
If a device causes pain, localized skin breakdown, or constant air leaks, compliance drops to zero. Treatment halts, leaving surgical restructuring as the only remaining pathway.
How Aligna Re-Engineered Non-Invasive Care
Combining sub-millimeter 3D scanning, custom CAD generation, and soft biocompatible hybrid silicone seals.
1. 3D Scanning & Mapping
Parents or clinicians capture a quick, safe smartphone or tablet light-scan of the child’s chest. We generate a 3D surface model down to sub-millimeter precision.
2. Dual-Chamber Hybrid Systems
For complex asymmetric pectus, our software incorporates simultaneous vacuum suction over sunken regions while exerting dynamic, targeted compression on protruding ribs.
3. Biocompatible Soft Seals
3D-printed flexible TPU housing with food-grade biocompatible silicone gaskets conforms around ribs and growth plates, maintaining vacuum seals without painful pressure spots.
Simulate Custom Hybrid Fitting
Adjust the anatomical sliders below to see how Aligna’s parametric algorithm dynamically morphs the device housing to maintain airtight, painless contact.
What We Are Trying to Avoid
When non-invasive devices fail due to poor fit, major invasive surgery becomes the default alternative. Our goal is to prevent that whenever safely possible.
| Treatment Vector |
Aligna Custom Device
|
Invasive Surgery (Nuss / Ravitch)
|
|---|---|---|
| Invasiveness | 100% Non-Invasive External Wear | Major Surgery (Steel bar insertion or cartilage cutting) |
| Hospitalization | 0 Days (At-home daily routine) | 3 to 5 Days (Inpatient ICU/Epidural management) |
| Post-Op Pain & Recovery | Pain-Free (Custom soft silicone contouring) | 6 to 12 Weeks Severe Pain (Opioids/Nerve cryoablation) |
| Internal Hardware | None | 1–3 Metal Bars retained inside chest for 2–3 years |
| Secondary Procedures | 0 Surgeries Required | Mandatory 2nd Surgery for bar removal after 3 years |
| Financial Impact | $0 to low cost (Fully Non-Profit Funded) | $40,000 to $100,000+ total healthcare costs |
Give Your Child a Non-Invasive First Step
Explore our 3D custom fitting process before considering invasive surgical options.
"We don't wait to be handed a solution. We break the box and build what’s missing."
Aligna is dedicated to providing customized, 3D-printed pediatric pectus devices to every child in need, regardless of financial or insurance barriers.
For Families
Is your child struggling with an uncomfortable off-the-shelf device, or was your insurance claim denied?
For Donors
Directly fund 3D scanning, biocompatible printing resins, and soft silicone seals for a child in financial need.
For Clinicians
Partner with Aligna to refer complex asymmetric pectus cases to our medical engineering team.