File pdf 111KB

Development and Design of a Pressure Indication Insole for Lower Limb Fractures

Through a partnership with UPMC Hamot in Erie Pennsylvania, a cohort of engineering students are designing and developing a pressure insole prototype as a senior capstone project. UPMC is well known for advancements in the medical field as well as promising opportunities for students to further increase knowledge with research and design opportunities. The overall goal of the project is to engineer an insole to quantify the pressure patients put on fractured lower limbs. The finished product will benefit all patients and medical staff who are affected by lower limb injuries, quantifying the pressure applied, which will strengthen the limb and speed up recovery. Over half a million patients sustain a lower limb injury each year, causing them to wear walking boots or plaster casts for long periods of time. During this time, patients are encouraged to put pressure on the fractured limb, aiding in the healing time and strength of the bone upon removal of the cast. However, medical staff cannot prove patients are putting pressure on the limb, and if they are, they cannot quantify how much pressure is being administered and how often the patient is fulfilling the task. To date, the design team has made progress engineering the pressure insole by: (1) finalizing a design and beginning to create a working prototype, (2) comparing design specs and customer requirements to competitor’s ideas (3) creating an assembly and modification manual. During Spring of 2018, the work plan is to finalize and test a working prototype, finalizing the assembly and modification manual, and presenting the final product to the stakeholder. This poster presentation will summarize the design process, such as the breakdown of the systems, designs, and current prototype. The data collected from testing and modifications will be summarized as well. The authors will examine how this activity complements their engineering education experience by using information learned during undergraduate lecture, and how this also prepares them for work in graduate studies and the workforce.