Tissue Viability Monitoring: a Multi-Sensor Wearable Platform Approach

Mathur, N. , Davidson, A., Buis, A. and Glesk, I. (2016) Tissue Viability Monitoring: a Multi-Sensor Wearable Platform Approach. In: 20th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, Jasna, Slovakia, 05-09 Sep 2016, pp. 1014205-1. ISBN 9781510607330 (doi: 10.1117/12.2256707)

Abstract

Health services worldwide are seeking ways to improve patient care for amputees suffering from diabetes, and at the same time reduce costs. The monitoring of residual limb temperature, interface pressure and gait can be a useful indicator of tissue viability in lower limb amputees especially to predict the occurrence of pressure ulcers. This is further exacerbated by elevated temperatures and humid micro environment within the prosthesis which encourages the growth of bacteria and skin breakdown. Wearable systems for prosthetic users have to be designed such that the sensors are minimally obtrusive and reliable enough to faithfully record movement and physiological signals. A mobile sensor platform has been developed for use with the lower limb prosthetic users. This system uses an Arduino board that includes sensors for temperature, gait, orientation and pressure measurements. The platform transmits sensor data to a central health authority database server infrastructure through the Bluetooth protocol at a suitable sampling rate. The data-sets recorded using these systems are then processed using machine learning algorithms to extract clinically relevant information from the data. Where a sensor threshold is reached a warning signal can be sent wirelessly together with the relevant data to the patient and appropriate medical personnel. This knowledge is also useful in establishing biomarkers related to a possible deterioration in a patient’s health or for assessing the impact of clinical interventions.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mathur, Dr Neha
• Authors: Mathur, N., Davidson, A., Buis, A., and Glesk, I.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• ISSN: 0277-786X
• ISBN: 9781510607330
• Published Online: 23 December 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 SPIE
• First Published: First published in Proceedings of SPIE 10142: 1014205-1
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy