Advanced Materials to Improve Moisture Management for Prosthetic Socket Liners

在现代假肢中，抽吸衬垫提供了与刚性假体的机械连接。 通过皮肤牵引或吸引来“夹紧”患者的残肢。 常规地，衬里由不透水的材料制成，例如 硅树脂和聚氨酯。内衬内长时间的水分积聚 影响配合并导致诸如浸渍（组织从恒定软化）等问题， 水暴露）、故障和感染，以及舒适和卫生问题。 管理这个问题可以彻底改变这种广泛使用的临床实施， 悬挂系统 我们建议开发一种新型的先进材料假体内衬系统， 保持皮肤牵引和吸力，但也吸收，芯吸，通道，并管理 水从汗水。这种材料将通过提供更稳定， 肢体和关节窝之间的接口舒适且问题较少。我们的目标 是开发一种高度交联的原型水合材料系统，用于现场使用 防水硅胶衬里，以保持无空气皮肤牵引和吸力 同时管理汗液并保持与含水量相关的静态体积。这 新的内衬材料将需要开发两种先进的材料，一种是汗水， 掺入有机硅纤维素纳米复合材料的输送介质 （CNCs），以及聚合物/粘土气凝胶，其可以吸收并保持水分，直到其被吸收为止。 故意删除。这两种材料将被开发和测试，以优化 它们的机械性能和汗液扩散性能。最后，这些材料将分层 沿着第三层，由标准衬垫硅树脂制成的密封剂层， 原型，进一步的机械，汗水管理，耐用性和再生 测试以及卫生检查，再加上对刚性材料的功能评估， 步行靴子。改善这一关键组成部分的水资源管理将从根本上 提高对大量下肢和上肢截肢者护理标准。

In modern prosthetics a suction liner provides a mechanical connection to the rigid socket by “gripping” the residual limb of the patient by either skin traction or suction. Conventionally, liners are made from materials that are impermeable to water such as silicone and polyurethane. Prolonged moisture accumulation inside the liner adversely affects fit and contributes to issues such as maceration (tissue softening from constant water exposure), breakdown, and infection, as well as issues of comfort and hygiene.  Managing this issue could revolutionize the clinical implementation of this widely used suspension system. We propose to develop a new type of advanced-material prosthetic liner system that maintains skin traction and suction but also absorbs, wicks, channels, and manages the water from sweat. This material will improve clinical practice by providing a more stable, comfortable, and less problematic interface between the limb and socket. Our objective is to develop a highly cross-linked prototype hydrated material system, for use in place of the water-impermeable silicone liner, to maintain airless skin traction and suction while managing sweat and keeping a static volume in relation to water content. This new liner material will require the development of two advanced materials, a sweat- transporting medium incorporating silicone cellulose nanocrystal nanocomposites (CNCs), and a polymer/clay aerogel which can absorb and retain moisture until it is deliberately removed. Both of these materials will be developed and tested to optimize their mechanical and sweat-diffusion properties. Finally, these materials will be layered along with a third, sealant layer made of standard liner silicone into a three-layered prototype for further mechanical, sweat management, durability, and regeneration testing as well as hygiene examination coupled to functional evaluation of the material in a rigid  walking boot. Improving water management in this critical component will fundamentally improve standard of care for a large population of lower and upper limb amputees.