Polymer based bendloss waveguide sensor for shear and pressure measurement
Introduction Lower limb complications associated with diabetes include the development of plantar ulcers that can lead to infection and subsequent amputation. Several authors have postulated that shear stress is an important component of ulcer development. While it is known from force plate analyses that there are medial/lateral and anterior /posterior shear components of the ground reaction force, there is little known about the actual distribution of this force during daily activities, nor about the role that shear plays in causing plantar ulceration. Additionally, there are currently no flexible high-resolution sensors capable of measuring the distribution of both shear and pressure stress at the plantar surface. Technology description Researchers at the University of Washington have invented a novel means of transducing plantar shear and pressure stress via a microfabricated optical bendloss waveguide sensor. The uniqueness of the system is in its batch fabrication process, which involves an injection molding technique with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the optical medium. The pressure/shear sensor consists of an array of optical fibers lying in perpendicular rows and columns separated by elastomeric pads. Business opportunity In the United States, 6% of the population has diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. 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. Comprehensive foot care programs can reduce amputation rates by 45 to 85 percent. Intellectual Property Position This technology is available for licensing. Related Publication(s)Wang, WC. et al: A shear and plantar pressure sensor based on fiber-optic bend loss. Journal of rehabilitation research and development 42(3): 315-25, 2005.
Type of Offer: Licensing
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