Burl Johnson

Challenging existing ideas of one-use, medium duration cervical collars, project concerns included increased comfort, particularly coolness, product appearance, single collar application to a majority of the population, and costs competitive to existing thermoplastic and urethane foam collars. As the Transition Collar was intended for hospital emergency and recovery areas, additional considerations included ease of application, sizing, and motion restriction comparable to competitive foam collars. Both collars are comprised of a stiff injection moldable member, affixed to an open celled urethane laminate foam, intended to capture the user's chin and limit cervical motion. Development of both collars involved evaluation of existing products, cost saving concerns, identification of motion restriction parameters and the qualification of materials. Development mandated the generation of numerous prototypes, coordination with marketing and sales, motion restriction testing.