Project to develop a pre-production prototype of a new standard apparatus to test surgical compression hosiery

压缩袜被用于管理大量影响静脉和淋巴系统的医疗条件。适当的产品类型、压力分类和设计取决于具体的应用。渐进式压缩袜用于改善静脉曲张、腿部静脉溃疡、术后深静脉血栓形成和水肿等情况下的静脉和淋巴流动。静脉溃疡是最常见的慢性伤口类型，影响1-2%的英国人口在任何时候。这对医疗成本产生了重大影响，并严重影响了患有这种疾病的人的生活质量。很难准确评估用压迫疗法治疗所有这些疾病的费用。然而，一个很好的成本规模的指标是每年8亿英镑，据估计NHS用于治疗静脉性腿部溃疡。这些医疗条件的成本效益管理取决于对绷带系统在患者腿部部署时的行为的理解和知识。目前，这种理解是基于绷带的分类和它被设计用于肢体的压力。就目前的情况而言，袜子被划分在英国标准6612:1985规定的压力梯度范围内。本标准是基于使用HATRA压力测试仪的实验设备进行的测试。然而，对HATRA测试设备的能力有很大的限制。压力传感器的发明是由一种新的、可打印的、基于墨水的技术形成的，这使得创造一种更接近人类腿部模拟的测试设备成为可能。有人建议，这样的设备将允许实验室测试的压缩袜和绷带，准确地反映他们的行为时，应用于患者。

Compression hosiery is used in the management of a large number of medical conditionsaffecting the venous and lymphatic systems. The appropriate product type, pressureclassification, and design are dependent upon the specific application. Graduatedcompression hosiery is used to improve venous and lymph flow in conditions such as ofvaricose veins, venous leg ulcers, post-operative deep vein thrombosis, and oedema.Venous ulcers are the most frequently occurring type of chronic wound affecting 1-2% of theUK population at any one time. This has a significant impact on healthcare costs anddrastically affects the quality of life of those afflicted with this condition. It is difficult toaccurately assess the cost for the treatment of all of these conditions with compressiontherapies. However, a good indication of the scale of the cost is given by the £800m perannum it is estimated to cost the NHS for the treatment of venous leg ulcers.The cost-effective management of these medical conditions depends upon understanding andknowledge of the behaviour of the bandaging system when deployed upon the leg of thepatient. Currently this understanding is based upon the classification of the bandage and thepressure that it is designed to apply to a limb. As matters stand, hosiery is classified into arange of pressure gradients defined by British Standard 6612: 1985. This Standard is basedupon tests performed employing experimental apparatus known as the HATRA PressureTester. However, there are significant limitations to the capabilities of the HATRA testingequipment.The invention of pressure sensors that are formed by a new, printable, ink-based technologyhas made it possible to create a testing apparatus that is far closer to a simulacrum of thehuman leg. It is proposed that such a device will allow the laboratory testing of compressionstockings and bandages that accurately reflects their behaviour when applied to patients.