SBIR Phase I: SBIR Phase I:Autonomous Balance-Enhanced Insert for Footwear

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将有助于开发一种新型平衡增强鞋插入物，用于预防高风险老年人群的福尔斯跌倒。福尔斯是致命伤害的主要原因，也是老年人创伤相关住院的最常见原因。65岁以上的美国人中，每四个人中就有一个人每年摔倒，到2020年，老年人摔倒造成的经济负担预计将达到670亿美元。因此，智能鞋垫的引入可能会大大减轻医疗保健系统的财务负担。它还将使老年人口在日常生活活动中实现最大程度的独立。拟议的鞋垫还将解决运动鞋行业的关键需求，以减少脚踝扭伤的事件。新智能天平的发展？增强鞋垫，其改善平衡而没有刺激和习惯效应，将可能导致用于制造鞋垫的新的制造技术。这项SBIR创新有可能向市场推出一种安全，可靠和具有成本效益的鞋垫，可以很容易地制造和分销。 这个SBIR第一阶段项目建议开发一种新颖的鞋垫，以促进适当和及时的反应，一个人？的运动，以保持良好的平衡，而步行或站立。足底是一个？测力图人体平衡控制。失去平衡发生在身体重量转移太接近足底边界。及时向中枢神经系统（CNS）提供有关此类运动的信息对于平衡控制至关重要。所提出的插入物具有包含粘性流体的微单元系统，其响应于激发向CNS报告的机械感受器的压力的突然增加而触发鞋垫周边区域周围的突起的瞬时上升。 这种平衡增强解决方案提供了皮肤机械感受器敏感性的适时区域放大，但没有现有纹理鞋垫的副作用。缺点包括足底的永久性不适和刺激，这导致足底躯体感觉系统的脱敏。主要研究目标包括：嵌件的工程设计;材料研究以满足性能目标;确定未来大规模生产的制造商;创建测试框架以确保性能符合要求的规范。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will contribute to development of a novel Balance-Enhancing Footwear Insert for preventing falls in the high risk elderly population. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries and the most common reason for trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. One in every four Americans over age of 65 falls each year, and the financial burden from the falls in the elderly is expected to reach $67B by 2020. Therefore, introduction of a smart insole might significantly reduce the financial burden for the Medical Care System. It will also allow the elderly population to achieve maximum independence in the activities of daily living. The proposed insole will also address the critical needs of the athletic shoe industry to reduce the incidents of ankle sprains. The development of the new smart balance?enhancing insole, which improves balance without irritation and habituation effects will likely lead to new fabrication techniques for manufacturing insoles. This SBIR innovation has the potential to introduce to the market a safe, reliable and cost-effective insole that could be easily manufactured and distributed. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel insole to facilitate proper and timely response to a person?s movements in order to maintain good balance while walking or standing. The plantar sole is a ?dynamometric map? of human balance control. The loss of balance occurs when the body weight is shifted too close to the plantar sole boundary. The timely information to the Central Nervous System (CNS) about such movements is critical for balance control. The proposed insert, with a system of microcells containing viscous fluid, triggers instantaneous rise of protrusions around the insole perimeter area in response to the sudden increase of pressure that excites the mechanoreceptors reporting to the CNS. Such a balance-enhancing solution provides well-timed regional amplification of cutaneous mechanoreceptor sensitivity but without the side effects of the existing textured insoles. The shortcomings include permanent discomfort and irritation in the plantar sole, which results in desensitization of the sole somatosensory system. The main research objectives include: Engineering design of the insert; research of materials to meet the performance goals; identification of the manufacturers for future mass production; creating testing frameworks to insure performance according to the required specifications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.