A Novel Means of Measuring Mechanical Shear/Pressure Stress using Flexible Polymeric Sensor
Introduction Diabetes is a significant national health care priority and foot complications are one of the more serious considerations. More than 60,000 amputations of the lower extremities are performed every year due to complications arising from diabetes mellitus. Studies have shown that foot ulcers precede amputation in 71 to 84% of the cases. It has been postulated that shear stress is an important component of ulcer development. However, in part due to the lack of a validated, widely employed shear sensor, the specific relationship between shear stress and ulcer development is not well understood. Technology description Researchers at the University of Washington have invented a sensor to measure plantar pressure and shear stress in the shoe, with emphasis on diabetic neuropathic patients. The pressure/shear sensor consists of an array of microfabricated polymer based Bragg grating sensors that involves an injection molding technique with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the optical medium. A map of pressure and shear stress is constructed based on observed deformation of each pressure point by monitoring the shift in Bragg wavelength of the reflected signal with the changes in the measurand in each grating. One of the advantages of using fiber Bragg grating is its ability to integrate a large number of sensors along a single fiber for distributive sensing. This sensor can be in the form of an in-sole or embedded in the shoe. Business opportunity In the United States, 6% of the population has diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. During their lifetimes, about 15% of diabetic patients will develop a foot ulcer. More than 60 percent of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur among people with diabetes. Comprehensive foot care programs can reduce amputation rates by 45 to 85 percent. Intellectual Property Position US 7,295,724: Polymer based distributive waveguide sensor for pressure and shear measurement. Issued Nov. 2007.Patents:
US 7,295,724
Type of Offer: Licensing
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