Skin Interface Friction Transducer

描述(由申请人提供)： Korosensor建议开发一种皮肤界面摩擦传感器(SIFT)，以防止糖尿病患者的皮肤破裂，这种皮肤破裂可能导致足部溃疡和下肢截肢。糖尿病患者截肢的风险是非糖尿病患者的15至46倍，绝大多数糖尿病足并发症是由于形成皮肤溃疡而导致截肢。这些患者中的许多人由于周围神经病变而失去或完全没有保护性皮肤感觉(即过度摩擦、红肿、过度压力)。当感觉缺乏时，再加上压力异常，就会形成足部溃疡。如果开发人工传感来补充患者的感官反应，提醒患者存在皮肤破裂和损伤的可能性，许多这些溃疡问题是可以预防的。拟议的第一阶段项目将确定开发一种皮肤界面摩擦传感器的技术和商业可行性，该传感器可以检测糖尿病患者的“粘滑”情况。一种包含SIFT的低调聚合物传感器垫将与几个脊状元件一起制造并插入到鞋类中。传感器垫中将复制一系列脊线，以模仿人类皮肤的表皮特征。每个元件将被设计为检测两用力、法向(即垂直)力、足部表面的Fn和切向力(FT)。摩擦系数将被确定。传感器垫的设计将促进患者的自我护理，通过无线射频遥测糖尿病足的情况通知患者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Korosensor proposes to develop a skin interface friction transducer (SIFT) to prevent skin breakdown in diabetic mellitus patients, which can lead to foot ulceration and lower extremity amputation. The risk of lower extremity amputation is 15 to 46 times higher in diabetics than persons without diabetic mellitus, with the vast majority of diabetic foot complications resulting in amputation due to formation of skin ulcers. Many of these patients experience loss or complete absence of protective skin sensation (i.e. excessive rubbing, redness and swelling, excessive pressure) due to peripheral neuropathy. When a lack of sensation is coupled with abnormal pressure, a foot ulcer can form. Many of these ulcerous problems can be prevented if artificial sensing is developed to complement a patient's sensory response to alert the patient the potential exists for skin breakdown and damage. The proposed Phase I project will establish the technical and commercial feasibility of developing a skin interface friction transducer that can detect the 'stick-slip' condition in diabetic patients. A low-profile polymer sensor pad incorporating SIFT will be fabricated with several ridge elements and inserted into footwear. A series of ridges will be replicated in the sensor pad to emulate the epidermal features of human skin. Each element will be designed to sense dual-use forces, the normal (i.e. perpendicular) force, FN and tangential forces (FT) at the foot surface. The coefficient of friction will be determined. The sensor pad will be designed to promote patient self-care, informing the patient, through wireless RF telemetry of diabetic foot condition.