Foot Sensor Device for Gait Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor devices for gait enhancement, particularly those using functional electrical stimulation, are cumbersome, uncomfortable, and difficult to don and secure, especially for patients with neuromuscular impairments, due to bulky components and the need for additional items like socks, which can impede efficacy and sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A foot sensor device with a sensor unit placed under the shoe's inner sole and a wireless communication unit attached to the shoe rim via a semi-rigid clamp, allowing secure and effortless attachment, even by hemiplegic patients, with a design that minimizes mechanical constraints and discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a radio frequency transmitting unit is integrated within the foot sensor device, then wireless communication is achieved, but the device becomes bulky and sensitive to humidity and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate components: a foot sensor device with pressure sensor and a separate RF transmitting unit mounted on the calf. This segmentation allows the sensor to remain small and comfortable while the transmitting unit handles wireless communication, resolving the contradiction between wireless capability and device bulkiness.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible printed circuit board (FPC) with a long lead acts as an intermediary, connecting the foot sensor device to the RF transmitting unit. This allows the sensor to be placed under the foot while the transmitting unit is positioned on the calf, eliminating the need to integrate the RF unit within the foot sensor device.
2Reliability
If a wide semi-rigid spine is used to hold the communication head at a predetermined distance, then the RF unit is secured, but the device rubs against the foot and heel causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The communication head and RF transmitting unit are extracted from the foot sensor device and mounted separately on the calf. This eliminates the need for a rigid connecting structure that would rub against the foot and heel, removing the source of mechanical stress and discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible printed circuit board with a long lead is used instead of a rigid spine to connect the sensor to the transmitting unit. This flexible connection allows natural movement of the foot without creating pressure points or rubbing against the skin.
3Measurement precision
If the pressure sensor is disposed underneath the foot in a sock pouch, then the sensor is positioned correctly, but an additional sock item must be donned which is problematic for hemiplegic patients
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor, FPC lead, and RF transmitting unit are combined into a single integrated assembly that is mounted directly on the shoe. This eliminates the need for a separate sock pouch, reducing the number of items to don while maintaining proper sensor positioning under the foot.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor assembly is moved from a three-dimensional sock pouch environment to a two-dimensional mounting surface on the shoe. This allows the sensor to be positioned correctly under the foot through the shoe material without requiring an additional sock layer.
4Ease of operation
If the RF transmitting unit is mounted on the calf, then wireless communication is enabled, but the unit is exposed to humidity and mechanical stress during gait
Solution Approach 1:
The RF transmitting unit is pre-mounted on the calf in a position that is protected from direct exposure to humidity and mechanical stress during gait. The unit is positioned above the shoe rim where it can function wirelessly without being subjected to the harsh conditions experienced by foot-mounted components.
Data Source
AI summary
A foot sensor device and method for gait enhancement, the device including: (a) a sensor unit having a casing, the sensor unit for disposing within a shoe of a user, the sensor unit for sensing a parameter associated with a gait event; (b) an electronic communication unit, electrically associated with the sensor unit, for receiving a signal pertaining to the parameter, the electronic unit having: (i) a microcontroller; (ii) a transmitting unit for transmitting, in a wireless fashion, gait information based on the signal, to a unit of an orthosis external to the foot sensor device, and (iii) a housing for housing at least one of the microcontroller and the transmitting unit, and (c) a fastening unit, attached to the housing, adapted to fasten on to the shoe, so as to secure the communication unit in a fixed position during gait.