Pressure and Temperature Monitoring and Regulating Insole

项目摘要/摘要 糖尿病足溃疡具有复杂的生物力学病理，不仅涉及足底压力，而且还包括 还有剪切力和体力活动等因素。一些压力性溃疡的研究也 证明了与较冷的组织相比，较热的组织更容易分解。糖尿病患者 溃疡和相关截肢损害了生活质量，也给患者和美国带来了令人难以置信的代价 医疗体系，估计每年花费300亿美元。尽管糖尿病足溃疡的病因学 压力、剪切力和温度都被认为是促成因素。 在这项拨款申请中，伟创力和北得克萨斯大学寻求开发新的鞋类，以监测 关键生物标志物(压力和温度)可以在临床表现出来之前报告早期组织损伤 并且还利用一种新的冷却/加热技术对抗压力峰值和调节温度。这 稍后可以利用这项技术来评估调温预防足部溃疡的临床效果。 先前的研究表明，冷却足底表面可以减少皮肤破裂和溃疡。 可以长时间佩戴的系统的可用性，并且可以监测足底温度和 压力、降低压力峰值和控制足底温度将使研究人员能够在体内进行 探讨一种被广泛接受的治疗方法(即低温疗法)对糖尿病溃疡的疗效。 在未来，这种工具也可能被用作糖尿病患者的处方治疗鞋垫。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Diabetic foot ulceration has a complicated biomechanical pathology that involves not only plantar pressure but also shear stresses and physical activity, among other factors. A number of pressure ulcer studies have also demonstrated that warmer tissue is more vulnerable to breakdown when compared to cooler tissue. Diabetic ulceration and related amputations impairs quality of life and also is incredibly costly to the patient and to the US healthcare system, costing an estimated $30 billion dollars annually. Although the etiology of diabetic foot ulcers is still debated, pressure, shear, and temperature are all thought to be contributing factors. In this grant application, Vivonics and University of North Texas seek to develop new footwear that will monitor key biomarkers (pressure and temperature) that can report early tissue damage before it is clinically apparent and also counter pressure peaks and regulate temperature using a novel cooling/heating technology. This technology can later be utilized to assess the clinical efficacy of regulating temperature in preventing foot ulcers. Prior studies have shown that cooling the plantar surface can reduce skin breakdown and ulceration. Availability of a system that can be worn for long periods of time and can monitor plantar temperature and pressure, reduce pressure peaks and control the plantar temperature will enable researchers to conduct in vivo studies to explore the efficacy of a widely accepted therapeutic method (i.e., hypothermia) in diabetic ulceration. In the future this tool may also be used as a prescribed therapeutic insole for the diabetic population.