IN SHOE MULTISENSORY DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：糖尿病患者 糖尿病（DM）和周围神经病变是下肢的高风险 皮肤破裂和随后截肢。 不被注意的，反复发作的 在正常行走过程中对不敏感皮肤的过度应力 构成皮肤破裂的主要促成因素。 垂直和 剪切力、温度和湿度似乎都与皮肤有关 崩溃 理解和管理这些变量之间的关系 对减少皮肤破裂的发生率至关重要 以及随后的截肢。 的主要目的 这个跨学科的研究项目是开发新技术， 测量、记录、分析并提供有关垂直和剪切的反馈 力、温度和湿度在鞋内的种植者脚上， 长期的功能活动。 而不是挑战病人 复杂和潜在的混乱阵列的触觉刺激，具体 指令将通过现代LCD传送给用户 寻呼机中使用的读出技术。 虽然主要应用 这项研究将是预防皮肤破裂和截肢， 糖尿病患者，它也可能有重要的意义：1） 向老年人或肥胖者提供反馈以增加活动; 2） 测试各种鞋类或矫正装置，因为它们与温度有关， 湿度和压力调节;以及3）提供感官反馈 脊髓损伤患者，或用于机器人的应用。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the applicant's abstract): Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral neuropathy are at high risk for lower extremity skin breakdown and subsequent amputation. Unnoticed, repeated bouts of excessive stresses on insensitive skin that occur during normal walking constitute a primary contributing factor to skin breakdown. Vertical and shear forces, temperature, and humidity all appear related to skin breakdown. Understanding and managing the relationship of these variables to skin breakdown is critical in reducing the incidence of skin breakdown and subsequent amputation in this high risk group. The primary purpose of this interdisciplinary research project is to develop new technologies to measure, record, analyze, and provide feedback regarding vertical and shear forces, temperature, and humidity on the planter foot inside the shoe during prolonged functional activities. Rather than challenge the patient with complex and potentially confusing arrays of tactile stimuli, specific instructions will be transmitted to the user by way of the modern LCD readout technology employed in beepers. Although the primary application of this research will be the prevention of skin breakdown and amputation in patients with diabetes, it might also have important implications for: 1) providing feedback to the elderly or the obese to increase activity; 2) testing various footwear or orthotic devices as they relate to temperature, humidity, and pressure modulation; and 3) providing sensory feedback for patients with spinal cord injury, or for applications in robotics.