3D scanning of foreign body causing injuries in children: an innovative approach to injury prevention

Abstract Background Foreign Body (FB) injuries in children are a relevant public health problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The characterization of objects causing the injuries is an essential step for developing effective prevention strategies. Scanning the objects causing the injuries would help identify characteristics that make the objects dangerous for young children. The study aims to use 3D scanning within a large series of FB injuries collected in the Susy Safe database to develop a system able to identify the risk profile of everyday objects based on information collected through the scanning study. Methods The Susy Safe is the largest international registry collecting data on FB injuries in children under the age of fifteen. It collects almost 35,000 cases. For each case, information about the child, the object, and the circumstances of the injuries are collected. Furthermore, whenever possible (according to the object type and the approach used for FB removal) also the object is collected. Such objects are undergoing 3D scanning with structured light technology, a common non-contact scanning method allowing for 3D digitization of all dimensions and appearances. Results Currently, 383 objects have undergone 3D scanning. Most objects were made of a stiff material (60%). The scanning of the objects is still ongoing. The digitalized information for each object is collected in a REDCap repository together with all information about the FB injury and the picture of the object. Conclusions The final aim of the project is to develop a web-based application able to identify dangerous objects, based on shape and size parameters, according to the data collected through the scanning. Its objective is to make people aware of the risks posed by particular objects, especially parents and guardians of children. Furthermore, through the web-based application, parents will be able to report injuries and share images on FBs. Key messages • 3D scanning would be a promising opportunity to improve primary prevention of foreign body injuries. • Integrating data from 3D scanning and surveillance systems would represent the basis for the development of a web application able to assist families in identifying hazardous objects.