SBIR Phase I: Active Smart Wearable Compression Technology for Treating Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是解决与淋巴水肿相关的需求。淋巴水肿是癌症手术中一种常见的终身副作用，由淋巴损伤或损伤引起，在美国影响了大约1000万患者。当它发生在四肢时，会引起肿胀，限制患者的活动，引起不适，损伤皮肤，如果不治疗，会导致蜂窝织炎，溃疡和感染/住院。根据疾病阶段的不同，标准的治疗方法包括服装包裹、手动引流/按摩、气压压缩和完全的减充血治疗。该项目将开发一种可编程、可校准且静音的动态压缩解决方案。这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目支持下一代可穿戴治疗平台的开发，该平台用于使用顺序压迫疗法治疗慢性静脉和淋巴疾病。该项目将开发形状记忆机电致动器平台和系统架构，以实现对压迫治疗的精确和远程控制，以刺激人体的淋巴和静脉系统。可穿戴系统将由控制器和具有多个可编程、个性化压缩通道的分段式服装组成。该设备将由锂离子电池供电，微处理器控制集成在智能手机大小的可穿戴解决方案中，并支持远程监控。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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 of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to address needs related to lymphedema. Lymphedema is a common and lifelong side-effect of cancer surgery that occurs from injury or damage to lymphatics, affecting approximately 10 million patients in the US. When it occurs in the extremities, this condition causes swelling that can restrict patient motion, cause discomfort, damage skin, and untreated it can lead to cellulitis, ulceration and infection/hospitalization. Depending on the disease stage, standard treatments include garment wraps, manual drainage/massage, pneumatic compression and complete decongestive therapy. This project will develop an ambulatory compression solution that is programmable, calibrated, and quiet. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project supports the development of a next-generation wearable therapeutic platform for treating chronic venous and lymphatic diseases using sequential compression therapy. The project will develop a shape-memory electromechanical actuator platform and system architecture to achieve precise and remote control over compression therapy to stimulate the body’s lymphatic and venous system. The wearable system will comprise of a controller and a segmental garment with multiple, programmable, individualized compression channels. The device will be powered with a lithium-ion battery and microprocessor control integrated in a wearable solution the size of a smartphone and enabled for remote monitoring.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.