In-shoe sensory systems to assess and avoid diabetic foot disease

该项目涉及一项探索性研究，旨在开发一种新型的触觉(触摸)传感技术，并调查其令人兴奋的潜力，以改变糖尿病足部溃疡的治疗--这是世界范围内的一个巨大临床挑战。背景：该项目旨在满足英国战略研究雄心，即“优化糖尿病足部疾病的诊断和治疗”。糖尿病影响了超过450万的英国人口，这种疾病会影响身体的软组织，特别是脚，导致溃疡的形成。研究估计，超过2.5%的糖尿病患者将患有糖尿病足溃疡(DFU)，这是一种极大地削弱个人生活质量的疾病，每年花费NHS高达11.3亿英镑。为了有效地诊断和治疗DFU，了解患者脚底的行为是很重要的。这是一项具有挑战性的任务，虽然现代评估方法使用鞋内数字测量系统，但它们价格昂贵，只测量了一小部分临床有用的信息。该项目的核心是开发基于小型电子线圈元件的触觉传感技术，这种元件可以使用大规模制造技术轻松打印到柔性薄膜上。传感器薄膜将由底部线圈层、可挤压的薄中间层和顶部接触层组成。最重要的是，这一概念允许1)在不同方向(侧对侧、前后、上下)测量压力，以及2)在胶片上放置栅格或“阵列”的传感元件，因此可以在多个位置进行测量。该传感技术将被应用于为DFU开发一个原型的“下一代”鞋内评估系统，该系统能够同时测量不同方向的压力。将使用放置在脚部关键区域的传感元件网格与移动数据记录系统相结合来开发一种传感“鞋底”。虽然这个想法雄心勃勃，但它有可能改变对DFU的评估和治疗。它将使改进的测量能够以更低的成本指导诊断和治疗，并有可能产生个性化系统，用于长期监测“高危”患者。该项目将使用一系列协作安置，以确保其具有临床相关性，具有商业前景，并促进使用工程科学来促进医疗保健。我们将与行业合作伙伴和制造专家合作，帮助开发未来的商业产品。我们将与临床合作伙伴密切合作，了解DFU的第一手治疗方法，以及如何相应地开发这项技术。我们将开展研究实习，让来自利兹和印度的本科生在该项目上合作，特别是探索如何将这项技术改造成造福于低收入和中等收入国家的医疗体系。这项工作的结果将有助于对社会产生积极影响，造福研究界，并帮助扩大英国经济。我们将密切合作，让公众参与我们的工作，展示工程科学研究对社会的相关性和重要性。我们将在公共活动(如科学节)上展示，并制作公共演示系统来展示我们的研究。对社会而言，这项研究开发的鞋内传感技术将直接帮助改进诊断(通过负担得起的测量技术)和加速治疗(通过详细的、个性化的评估)。对英国来说，传感器技术的进步是英国政府机器人和自主系统(RAS)战略的核心，该战略在创新英国RAS2020路线图中定义，并与国际竞争力、生产率和经济增长的需求联系在一起。

This project concerns exploratory research to develop a new type of tactile (touch) sensing technology and investigate its exciting potential to transform treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers - a huge clinical challenge worldwide.Background: The project has been designed to address the UK strategic research ambition to 'Optimise Diagnosis and Treatment' of Diabetic Foot Disease. Diabetes affects over 4.5m of the UK population and the condition acts to affect soft tissues in the body, notably the feet, leading to formation of ulcers. Studies estimate that over 2.5% of those with diabetes will have a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), a hugely debilitating condition which has a significant impact on personal quality of life and costs the NHS up to 1.13billion each year. For effective diagnosis and treatment of DFU it is important to understand the behaviour of the sole of the patient's foot. This is a challenging task and while modern assessment methods use in-shoe digital measurement systems they are expensive and measure only a small part of the information that would be clinically useful. The novel idea at the heart of this project is to develop tactile sensing technology based on small electronic coil elements which can be easily printed onto flexible films using mass manufacturing techniques. Sensor films will be composed of a bottom coil layer, a thin middle layer which can be squashed and a top contact layer. Crucially, this concept allows 1) pressures to be measured in different directions (side-to-side, fore-back, up-down) and 2) a grid or 'array' of sensing elements to be placed across a film, so measurements can be obtained at more than one location. The sensing technology will be applied to develop a prototype 'next-generation' in-shoe assessment system for DFU with the ability to simultaneously measure pressures in different directions. A sensing 'sole' will be developed using a grid of sensing elements placed at key regions of the foot combined with a mobile data logging system. While the idea is ambitious it has the potential to transform assessment and treatment of DFU. It will enable improved measurements to guide diagnosis and treatment at lower cost and with the potential to produce personalised systems for long-term monitoring of 'at-risk' patients. The project will use of a series of collaborative placements to ensure it is clinically relevant, has a commercial future and to promote the use of engineering science to advance healthcare. We will work with industry partners and manufacturing experts to help develop a future commercial product. We will work closely with clinical partners to understand first-hand DFU treatment and how this technology should be developed accordingly. We will run research internships in which undergraduate students from Leeds and India collaborate on the project, notably exploring how this technology could be adapted to benefit healthcare systems in Low and Middle-Income Countries.The outcomes from this work will help make a positive impact to society, benefit the research community, and help expand the UK economy. We will work closely to involve the general public with our work to demonstrate how engineering science research is relevant and crucial to society. We will present at public events (e.g. Science Festivals) and produce public demonstration systems to showcase our research.For society, the in-shoe sensory technology developed by this research will directly help improve diagnosis (through affordable measurement technology) and accelerate treatment (through detailed, personalised assessment). For the UK, advances in Sensor Technologies are central to UK Government's strategy on Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS), defined in the Innovate UK RAS2020 roadmap and linked to needs for international competiveness, productivity and economic growth.