3D-printed airway splints for kids: safer growing devices to treat TBM
Official title: 3D Printed Airway Splints: Pre-clinical and Clinical In Vivo Degradation and Tissue Response
Funded at Georgia Institute of Technology · NIH-11398917 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new flexible 3D-printed airway splint is being developed to support children with tracheobronchomalacia so their airways can grow without breaking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $675,043 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL179686-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398917 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children with TBM who may benefit from a 3D-printed airway splint and whose caregivers and clinicians are evaluating expandable devices.
✕Less likely to help
Children whose TBM is not related to airway growth or who have conditions contraindicating implanted devices may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a next-generation, growth-friendly airway splint using 3D printing to help children with TBM. It builds on prior designs and uses both lab tests and animal studies to refine a device that can expand as a child grows while reducing fracture risk. Researchers will also develop computer simulations to predict how design choices affect airway growth and device durability, guiding both preclinical and clinical use. The work includes a planned 6‑month and 2‑year preclinical study to compare new designs with the current one and to project clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the new splint could support growing airways more safely in children with TBM, potentially reducing critical airway events and improving long-term breathing.
How similar studies have gone: Previous designs showed growth-related fracture risk and limited airway growth in animal models, highlighting the need for improved designs.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hollister, Scott J — Georgia Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Hollister, Scott J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.