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A Holter-type microprocessor-based rehabilitation instrument for acquisition and storage of plantar pressure data in
Z O Abu-Faraj1, G F Harris, J H Abler
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
Insights
A new portable system accurately measures plantar pressures in children with cerebral palsy and planovalgus foot deformity. This lightweight device aids in gait analysis and rehabilitation, offering improved data collection over commercial options.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Technology
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) and planovalgus foot deformity significantly impact children's gait and mobility.
- Accurate plantar pressure measurement is crucial for effective rehabilitation and treatment planning.
- Existing commercial systems often lack portability and the ability to collect data during extended periods, limiting their clinical utility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a lightweight, portable multichannel data acquisition system for measuring discrete plantar pressures.
- To provide an improved method for obtaining accurate and reliable plantar pressure data in children undergoing rehabilitation for CP and planovalgus foot deformity.
- To assess the system's applicability in characterizing gait alterations in normal and affected feet.
Main Methods:
- A microprocessor-based, portable system with 12 conductive polymer force sensors was developed.
- The system samples plantar pressures at 40 Hz from each sensor for up to 2 hours.
- Data acquisition involved a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, 8-bit microprocessor, 4 MB RAM, and PC interfaces for analysis.
Main Results:
- The system demonstrated portability (350 g) and minimal gait encumbrance.
- Plantar pressure data was successfully acquired from two pediatric subjects with normal and planovalgus feet during walking trials.
- The system provided accurate and reliable data, exceeding the capabilities of some commercial systems for extended recording.
Conclusions:
- The developed portable data acquisition system is suitable for clinical application in pediatric rehabilitation.
- It offers a valuable tool for characterizing gait alterations associated with cerebral palsy and planovalgus foot deformity.
- The system can aid in evaluating the effectiveness of various treatment interventions, including therapeutic, surgical, and nonsurgical approaches.
Abstract:
A multichannel, portable data acquisition system has been developed to measure discrete plantar pressures in the rehabilitation of children who have cerebral palsy and planovalgus foot deformity. The microprocessor-based system is designed to be lightweight (350 g with batteries) and portable (no umbilicus) in order to minimize encumbrances to gait patterns. It provides an improved method for obtaining accurate and reliable data during extended recording and rehabilitative periods that is not available from commercial systems. Twelve conductive polymer force (pressure) sensors are used to acquire pressure data, which are then stored in the system memory. Plantar pressures are sampled at a rate of 40 Hz from each of the 12 sensors for up to 2 h. The system consists of 16 analog amplifiers, a 12 b sampling analog-to-digital converter, an 8 b Dallas semiconductor microprocessor (DS5001FP-16, Dallas, TX), 4 MB of pseudo static RAM, and serial and parallel I/O interfaces. The interfaces are used to upload data into a PC for further processing, analysis, and display. During subject testing, sensors are located at predetermined anatomic areas under the calcaneus, medial and lateral midfoot, medial and lateral metatarsal heads, and hallux. Foot pressure data has been acquired from two pediatric subjects during multiple walking trials to illustrate system application in the normal and planovalgus foot. The system is considered to be appropriate for further clinical application and for characterization of event related alterations including rehabilitative, therapeutic, surgical, and nonsurgical treatment.