FOOT PRESSURE AND SHEAR DATA VISUALIZATION SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Foot ulceration is a diabetic complication that results in over $1 billion worth of medical expenses per year in the United States alone. To better quantify the external forces involved in ulceration, researchers are developing new hardware systems that can measure both shear stress and vertical pressure. As these systems are commercialized, visualization software will be required for display and analysis of the 3-D stresses acting on the plantar surface. The proposed research will develop an advanced foot pressure and shear data visualization system, based on the innovative use of a deformed 2-D wire mesh to indicate stress, combined with more traditional vertical elevations and color-coding to indicate pressure. This new software will be adaptable to a variety of measurement systems, and will allow a clinician to see an accurate, 3-D representation of the maximum pressure and shear locations on the plantar surface. Also, novel analysis algorithms will be developed to identify areas where skin pressure and stress patterns (e.g., bunching, shearing, or stretching) are most likely to cause pathological consequences. Availability of this advanced software, in combination with new pressure/shear hardware measurement systems, will greatly improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of foot ulcers in diabetic patients. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: According to the American Diabetes Association, there are approximately 16 million patients in the United States with diabetes, with 800,000 new diagnoses each year. For these patients, foot complications account for more hospitalizations than any other clinical problem, and plantar ulcerations are a major reason for subsequent foot amputation. The proposed research will lead to a new commercial software product aimed primarily at the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. In addition, product applications can be extended to the estimated 1 million patients per year who develop pressure ulcer bedsores, as well as to prosthetic limb patients who are at risk of skin breakdown due to peripheral vascular disease.