In-shoe sensory systems to assess and avoid diabetic foot disease

鞋内感觉系统可评估和避免糖尿病足病

基本信息

批准号：
EP/R041776/1
负责人：
Peter Culmer
金额：
$ 32.29万
依托单位：
University of Leeds
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2018
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2018 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FR041776%2F1
关键词：
shoe sensory systems assess avoid

项目摘要

This project concerns exploratory research to develop a new type of tactile (touch) sensing technology and investigate its exciting potential to transform treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers - a huge clinical challenge worldwide.Background: The project has been designed to address the UK strategic research ambition to 'Optimise Diagnosis and Treatment' of Diabetic Foot Disease. Diabetes affects over 4.5m of the UK population and the condition acts to affect soft tissues in the body, notably the feet, leading to formation of ulcers. Studies estimate that over 2.5% of those with diabetes will have a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), a hugely debilitating condition which has a significant impact on personal quality of life and costs the NHS up to 1.13billion each year. For effective diagnosis and treatment of DFU it is important to understand the behaviour of the sole of the patient's foot. This is a challenging task and while modern assessment methods use in-shoe digital measurement systems they are expensive and measure only a small part of the information that would be clinically useful. The novel idea at the heart of this project is to develop tactile sensing technology based on small electronic coil elements which can be easily printed onto flexible films using mass manufacturing techniques. Sensor films will be composed of a bottom coil layer, a thin middle layer which can be squashed and a top contact layer. Crucially, this concept allows 1) pressures to be measured in different directions (side-to-side, fore-back, up-down) and 2) a grid or 'array' of sensing elements to be placed across a film, so measurements can be obtained at more than one location. The sensing technology will be applied to develop a prototype 'next-generation' in-shoe assessment system for DFU with the ability to simultaneously measure pressures in different directions. A sensing 'sole' will be developed using a grid of sensing elements placed at key regions of the foot combined with a mobile data logging system. While the idea is ambitious it has the potential to transform assessment and treatment of DFU. It will enable improved measurements to guide diagnosis and treatment at lower cost and with the potential to produce personalised systems for long-term monitoring of 'at-risk' patients. The project will use of a series of collaborative placements to ensure it is clinically relevant, has a commercial future and to promote the use of engineering science to advance healthcare. We will work with industry partners and manufacturing experts to help develop a future commercial product. We will work closely with clinical partners to understand first-hand DFU treatment and how this technology should be developed accordingly. We will run research internships in which undergraduate students from Leeds and India collaborate on the project, notably exploring how this technology could be adapted to benefit healthcare systems in Low and Middle-Income Countries.The outcomes from this work will help make a positive impact to society, benefit the research community, and help expand the UK economy. We will work closely to involve the general public with our work to demonstrate how engineering science research is relevant and crucial to society. We will present at public events (e.g. Science Festivals) and produce public demonstration systems to showcase our research.For society, the in-shoe sensory technology developed by this research will directly help improve diagnosis (through affordable measurement technology) and accelerate treatment (through detailed, personalised assessment). For the UK, advances in Sensor Technologies are central to UK Government's strategy on Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS), defined in the Innovate UK RAS2020 roadmap and linked to needs for international competiveness, productivity and economic growth.

该项目涉及探索性研究，以开发一种新型的触觉（触摸）传感技术，并调查其转变糖尿病足溃疡治疗的令人兴奋的潜力 - 全球范围内的临床挑战。Background：该项目旨在解决英国战略研究的野心，以“优化诊断和治疗”糖尿病足病的疾病。糖尿病会影响超过450万英国的人口，并且该病情会影响体内的软组织，尤其是脚，导致溃疡的形成。研究估计，超过2.5％的糖尿病患者将患有糖尿病足溃疡（DFU），这是一种令人衰弱的疾病，对个人的生活质量产生了重大影响，每年NHS的成本高达113亿。为了有效诊断和治疗DFU，了解患者脚鞋底的行为很重要。这是一项具有挑战性的任务，尽管现代评估方法使用鞋内数字测量系统，但它们昂贵，并且仅测量一小部分在临床上有用的信息。这个项目的核心想法是基于小型电子线圈元素开发触觉传感技术，这些元件可以轻松地使用质量制造技术将其印刷到灵活的膜上。传感器膜将由底部线圈层组成，薄的中间层可以压制，顶部接触层。至关重要的是，此概念允许1）在不同的方向（左右，前后，上向下）和2）要在膜上放置的传感元素的网格或“阵列”的压力测量，因此可以在一个以上的位置获得测量。传感技术将应用于开发DFU的原型“下一代”内部评估系统，并能够同时测量不同方向的压力。将使用放置在脚部关键区域的感应元素与移动数据记录系统的感应元素的网格开发感应“唯一”。虽然这个想法是雄心勃勃的，但它具有改变DFU评估和处理的潜力。它将能够改进的测量值以较低的成本指导诊断和治疗，并有可能生产个性化系统以长期监测“处于危险”患者。该项目将使用一系列的协作安排来确保其在临床上相关，具有商业未来，并促进使用工程科学来推进医疗保健。我们将与行业合作伙伴和制造专家合作，以帮助开发未来的商业产品。我们将与临床合作伙伴紧密合作，以了解第一手DFU治疗以及如何相应地开发该技术。我们将进行研究实习，其中来自利兹和印度的本科生在该项目上进行了合作，特别是探索如何适应该技术，以使低收入和中等收入国家的医疗保健系统受益。这项工作的成果将有助于对社会产生积极影响，使研究社区受益，并帮助扩大英国经济。我们将密切努力使公众参与我们的工作，以展示工程科学研究如何相关和对社会至关重要。我们将参加公共活动（例如科学节），并生产公开演示系统来展示我们的研究。对于社会，本研究开发的鞋管内感官技术将直接帮助改善诊断（通过负担得起的测量技术）和加速治疗（通过详细的，个性化的评估）。对于英国来说，传感器技术的进步是英国政府在机器人和自治系统方面的战略（RAS）的核心，该战略在Innovate UK RAS2020路线图中定义，并与国际竞争力，生产力和经济增长的需求有关。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（6）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

An Inductive Force Sensor for In-Shoe Plantar Normal and Shear Load Measurement

DOI：
10.1109/jsen.2020.3006316
发表时间：
2020-11
期刊：
IEEE Sensors Journal
影响因子：
4.3
作者：
Lefan Wang;Dominic Jones;G. Chapman;H. Siddle;D. Russell;A. Alazmani;P. Culmer
通讯作者：
Lefan Wang;Dominic Jones;G. Chapman;H. Siddle;D. Russell;A. Alazmani;P. Culmer

Design of a Digital Triaxial Force Sensor for Plantar Load Measurements

用于足底载荷测量的数字三轴力传感器的设计