Integrated Sensor Wound Dressing for Skin Perfusion Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining skin perfusion pressure are cumbersome, inconsistent, and uncomfortable for patients, often requiring bulky equipment and frequent removal of wound dressings for measurement, leading to unreliable results due to variations in blood perfusion around the wound perimeter.
Innovation Solution
A portable skin perfusion pressure determination device with a sensor module that includes a force sensor and a light-based perfusion sensor integrated into a wound dressing, allowing for simultaneous measurement of pressure and perfusion at the same location, facilitating convenient and consistent assessments without removing the dressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wound dressing is removed for inspection, then wound area can be visually assessed, but patient discomfort increases and measurement consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wound dressing is equipped with integrated sensors that enable self-monitoring of wound healing parameters without requiring removal or external inspection devices. The dressing autonomously collects data on wound characteristics, moisture levels, and healing progress, eliminating the need for disruptive manual assessments.
Solution Approach 2:
The wound dressing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides protective coverage for the wound, maintains appropriate moisture levels, and acts as a sensing platform for monitoring healing parameters. This multi-functionality eliminates the need to remove the dressing for inspection purposes.
2Quantity of substance
If repeated measurements are taken at different wound perimeter locations, then comprehensive healing data is collected, but measurement reliability decreases due to perfusion variations
Solution Approach 1:
The wound dressing is divided into multiple sensing zones or segments that can independently measure parameters at different locations. Each segment contains sensors that locally assess wound conditions, allowing comprehensive coverage while maintaining consistent reference points for reliable comparison over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The wound dressing is pre-configured with sensors positioned at optimal locations before application. This preliminary arrangement ensures that measurements are consistently taken from predetermined reference points on the wound perimeter, eliminating variability introduced by manual repositioning during repeated assessments.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If multiple wound dressings are used for monitoring, then continuous healing tracking is achieved, but resource consumption and patient burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each wound dressing is designed as a multi-functional monitoring system that simultaneously performs protection, moisture management, and long-term healing assessment. The integrated sensors enable a single dressing to provide continuous monitoring throughout the entire healing process, eliminating the need to switch between multiple dressings for different monitoring purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The wound dressing maintains continuous monitoring capability throughout its wear duration, with sensors that continuously or periodically assess wound healing parameters. This continuous action allows one dressing to replace multiple sequential dressings that would otherwise be needed for intermittent monitoring, reducing overall resource consumption.
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
Enables accurate, reliable, and comfortable measurement of skin perfusion pressure at the target area, reducing patient discomfort and improving the consistency of wound healing assessments by integrating sensors into a wound dressing that can be applied in a predetermined orientation.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor for sensing a first parameter associated with a pressure exerted on a target area by the sensor module
Implementation Method 2
a second sensor for sensing a second parameter associated with an amount of blood perfusion at the target area
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate to apparatuses and methods for a skin perfusion pressure determination device. In some embodiments, a skin perfusion pressure determination device can include a sensor module having a first sensor for sensing a first parameter associated with a pressure exerted on a target area by the sensor module and a second sensor for sensing a second parameter associated with an amount of blood perfusion at the target area. In some embodiments, the first sensor and the second sensor can be arranged such that, when the sensor module is pressed against the target area the first sensor produces an output corresponding to the sensed first parameter and the second sensor produces an output corresponding to the sensed second parameter.