SK1702023U1 - Sensor system for monitoring pressure inside the prosthetic socket - Google Patents

Abstract

The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic socket enables simple and reliable measurement of the pressure and pressure changes inside the prosthetic socket without affecting the comfort of the examined subject. The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic socket is composed of a system (1) of air balloons, a system (2) of pressure sensors, a control microcontroller (3), a wireless communication module (4), a source (5) of electric voltage and a circuit (6) of source charging management, which allows the battery to be recharged by an external source of electric voltage.

Description

The field of technology

The technical solution concerns a sensory system for monitoring pressure in critical places of the prosthetic bed, which is intended for connecting a replacement of an amputated limb. The technical solution falls into the field of biomedical engineering and medical devices.

Current state of the art

The prosthetic bed is the most important part of the prosthesis because it ensures the optimal transfer of movement from the residual limb to the rest of the prosthesis and maintains the optimal physiological state of the femur, the balance between stability and comfort, the balance between weight and load, provides adhesion, distribution of pressure and load transfer, eliminates pressure concentration and relieves sensitive areas. At present, taking measurements for the design of the bed is done manually, a positive of the shin is created by plastering, and the patient waits for a prosthesis for several weeks to months, during which his shin atrophies and at the same time changes in volume and shape take place in it. In the design and production of individual beds, the specific requirements of the patient are not taken into account, instead they are based on the subjective experience and skills of the orthopedic technician, which often lead to inadequate equipment and execution for the patient.

The essence of the technical solution

The essence of the technical solution is the design of a sensor system for monitoring the pressure in critical places of the prosthetic bed, which is intended for connecting the replacement of an amputated limb. It is a personalized lower limb prosthesis bed designed using digital modeling for a virtual positive of the shin, produced from bio-compatible polymer using polymer additive manufacturing technology. The design of the prosthetic bed is modified so that pressure sensors of the sensory system can be applied to the inner surface. The pressure is sensed through air balloons of different shapes and sizes. Air balloons are integrated into the structure of the prosthetic bed in selected loadable and non-loadable places. The air balloons are connected to the communication unit through a system of tubes. The system of air balloons and tubes represents a hermetically sealed system. The communication unit consists of four main components: a system of pressure sensors, a microcontroller, a module for wireless communication and a source of electrical energy in the form of a battery. The system of pressure sensors is connected via a serial communication interface to the microcontroller, which sequentially collects data from all connected pressure sensors. The microcontroller is used to collect digital samples of measured pressure values and ensures their subsequent forwarding to a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone via a wireless communication module. The microcontroller, the system of pressure sensors and the wireless communication module are characterized by low power consumption, which significantly extends the life of the battery, which serves as a source of power for the entire sensor system. The system also includes a battery charging management circuit, which enables the battery to be recharged by an external source of electrical voltage.

It is advantageous that the sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed contains its own source of electrical energy (battery) and a module for wireless transmission of measured data, which enables free and spatially unrestricted movement of the examined subject.

The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed, according to the technical solution, enables simple and reliable measurement of pressure and pressure changes inside the prosthetic bed without affecting the comfort of the examined subject. A significant advantage of the technical solution is the long standby and operating time of the measuring device due to the use of electronic components with low electricity consumption.

The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed serves to collect digitized pressure samples that are intended for further processing and analysis.

Overview of images on drawings

In fig. 1 is a captured block diagram of a sensor system for monitoring pressure inside a prosthetic bed.

SK 170-2023 U1

Implementation examples

This example refers to the basic variant of the sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed according to the technical solution shown in fig. 1. All electronic elements are connected on a double-sided printed circuit board (DPS) and all components are surface mounted (SMD), due to the minimization of the dimensions of the design solution. The communication unit takes the form of a small and light device that is wrapped around the prosthetic bed or limb by means of a rubber band.

The prosthetic bed, modified to apply the pressure sensor system, is designed on a virtual positive of the patient obtained using 3D scanning technology. The shape of the prosthetic bed is designed personalized for a specific patient in 3D modeling software, suitable for the design of prosthetic and orthotic aids and devices. The design of the prosthetic bed is modified so that pressure sensors of the sensory system can be applied to the inner surface. The modification of the bed consists in the creation of depressions on the inner surface of the bed, in loadable and non-loadable places, in which air balloons are inserted for sensing the pressure inside the bed. Silicone tubes, which are used to feed the air balloons to the input of the pressure sensor system, are led through the wall of the bed through holes of the same diameter, created on the edge of individual depressions. The model of the modified prosthetic bed is made of polymer, suitable for contact with the skin, through additive manufacturing technology.

A set of 1 air balloons of the required sizes and shapes is made of silicone layers. System 1 of air balloons is integrated into the structure of the prosthetic bed and is connected to the input of system 2 of pressure sensors with silicone tubes that are guided along the outside of the bed. Microcontroller 3 receives digital samples from a set of 2 pressure sensors using a serial communication interface. The digital samples are forwarded via the serial communication interface to the wireless communication module 4 using the microcontroller 3. The wireless communication module 4 sends the pressure data inside the prosthetic bed to an external device (PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone) for real-time display and/or storage for later analysis. All electronic components of the pressure monitoring sensor system are powered by a single source of electrical voltage, preferably a battery. Due to the use of electronic components with a low energy demand, it is possible to achieve a long operating time of the sensory system, which makes it possible to use a power source 5 with a lower capacity, and thus a lower overall weight of the entire electronic device. The system also includes a source charging management circuit 6, which enables easy charging of the source 5 of electrical voltage from an external source of electrical voltage without the need to replace or remove the source of electrical voltage 5.

The data captured by the sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed is used by prosthodontists to assess the quality and comfort of the designed trial bed, on the basis of which the final bed will be created.

Industrial applicability

The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed is designed to be connected to a personal computer, tablet or smartphone and serves to measure the pressure in critical places of the prosthetic bed, which is intended for connecting the replacement of the amputated limb. The sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed contains its own source of electrical energy and enables wireless transmission of measured data, which puts it in the category of wearable devices.

SK 170-2023 U1

List of relationship tags

- a system of air balloons

- system of pressure sensors

3 - microcontroller

- wireless communication module

- source of electrical voltage

- source charge management circuit

Claims (5)

CLAIMS FOR PROTECTION 1. A sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed, characterized by the fact that it contains a system (1) of air balloons, which are connected by tubes to the input of a system (2) of pressure sensors, which is connected to a microcontroller (3) by means of signal data wires. , which is connected by signal data wires to a wireless communication module (4), which is further connected by power wires to a source (5) of electric voltage, to which a microcontroller (3), a system (2) of pressure sensors and a circuit (6) are connected by power wires ) management of the charging source for recharging the battery with an external source of electrical voltage. 2. A sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed according to claim 1, characterized in that the system (1) of air balloons of the required sizes and shapes is made of silicone layers and is integrated into the structure of the prosthetic bed. 3. A sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the tubes connecting the system (1) of air balloons with the system (2) of pressure sensors are guided on the outside of the prosthetic bed. 4. A sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed according to claim 1, characterized in that it is connected via a wireless communication module (4) to an external device containing a screen for displaying the progress of the measured pressure in the prosthetic bed in real time, which is a personal computer ( PC), laptop computer, tablet or smartphone. 5. A sensor system for monitoring the pressure inside the prosthetic bed according to claim 4, characterized in that the external device contains a memory for storing digitized pressure data in the prosthetic bed for the needs of later analysis.