Interface Pressure Measurement System for Compression Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current compression systems for treating venous insufficiency lack the ability to accurately measure and maintain optimal pressure differential between the ankle and calf, leading to suboptimal treatment efficacy and patient compliance issues due to the inability to monitor pressure gradients and detect over/under pressure effectively.
Innovation Solution
A pressure measurement system utilizing multiple pressure sensors with an elastic modulus of 30-500 kPa, integrated with an electronic system for data acquisition and transmission, and an extendable support to adapt to patient morphology, along with optional humidity and temperature sensors to enhance treatment monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If compression systems are used to treat venous insufficiency, then therapeutic pressure is applied to the limb, but the pressure differential between ankle and calf cannot be measured or monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The compression system is divided into multiple independent inflatable chambers (first chamber for ankle region, second chamber for calf region) that can be controlled separately. This segmentation allows independent pressure adjustment and measurement in different anatomical regions, enabling the system to measure and maintain the required pressure differential between ankle and calf without requiring a completely new complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The control system integrates multiple functions into a single device: it can inflate/deflate chambers, measure pressure in each chamber, compare pressure values, and automatically adjust pressures to maintain the desired differential. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while achieving precise pressure differential measurement and control
2Measurement precision
If pressure sensors are added to measure interface pressure, then pressure monitoring is enabled, but the system becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensors are integrated directly into the chamber walls or coupling mechanisms, merging the measurement function with the structural components. The control unit combines pressure sensing, signal processing, comparison logic, and actuation control into a single integrated system, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the electronic architecture
Solution Approach 2:
A coupling element serves as an intermediary between the inflatable chambers and the pressure sensors, allowing pressure transmission to the sensors while maintaining chamber integrity. This intermediary approach enables pressure measurement without requiring direct sensor contact with the compression interface, simplifying sensor integration
3Stability of the object's composition
If the compression bandage is made rigid to maintain pressure, then pressure stability is improved, but the Hammock effect increases and reduces measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable chambers are constructed as flexible membranes that can conform to the limb's surface geometry while maintaining internal pressure. This flexibility eliminates the Hammock effect by ensuring uniform pressure distribution across the compression interface, allowing accurate pressure measurement without requiring rigid structures
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inflatable chambers filled with gas or fluid to provide compression. The pneumatic/hydraulic pressure can be precisely controlled and maintained independently of the chamber's structural rigidity, allowing stable pressure application while maintaining flexibility for accurate measurement
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides precise, reproducible pressure measurements over time, ensuring optimal pressure gradients and improved patient compliance, while the extendable design and additional sensors enhance adaptability and treatment effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensor whose material has an elastic compression modulus within a range of values from 30 to 500 kPa
Data Source
Figure 1~4C
Figure 3
Figure 5A~5D
AI summary
The subject matter of the present invention is a system for measuring interface pressure exerted on the skin, that is in particular of use in compression therapy, characterized in that it comprises: —a supporting member bearing sensors, including at least two pressure sensors spaced out on the supporting member in order to make it possible to measure the pressure exerted at two predetermined positions; —an electronic system connected to the sensors and capable of acquiring the values simultaneously measured by these sensors; and in that each pressure sensor comprises a transducer element, which is preferably substantially flat, said transducer element having a surface intended to come into contact with the skin in the operating position, either directly or by means of a layer of a material covering said surface of the transducer, the elastic modulus of compression of said transducer or of said intermediate layer, measured at the surface intended to come into contact with the skin, being between 30 and 500 kPa, preferably between 80 and 400 kPa and more preferably between 200 and 400 kPa. Use: compression therapy.