Development of pressure monitoring undergarment for scoliotic brace treatment

Start Date

26-3-2021 2:30 PM

End Date

26-3-2021 2:40 PM

Description

This project is aimed to develop a pressure monitoring undergarment by integrating the fibre bragg grating sensors (FBGs) and knitted garment, so overall pressure distribution and dynamic pressure exerted by braces on Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients can be investigated. AIS is a 3D spinal deformity arising in children aged 10 to 16. Bracing is the most prevalent conservative treatment to alleviate curve progression to the threshold for surgery by exerting active pressure. However, prolonged stress of the hard brace often causes physical discomfort, such as skin irritation and pressure ulcers. Moreover, the current ideal level of pressure is not standardised, so the applied pressure is mainly relying on orthotist’ s judgement. It implies that orthotists might overestimate patient’s tolerance to reach their expected in-brace corrective results, so it may eventually reduce patients’ brace compliance and treatment successfulness. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor pressure and adjust the tightness accordantly while keeping the brace efficacy. Existing pressure sensors have two main inadequacies, namely shifting problem and no overall pressure distribution. The high flexibility pressure monitoring undergarment could be one of the solutions because it tightly fits the human torso and equipped with more than 20 sensing points, so overall pressure can be known. Also, the collected data can be used to determine the optimum brace corrective forces and desired pressure comfort.

Recommended Citation

Lee, K. P. (2021, March). Development of pressure monitoring undergarment for scoliotic brace treatment. Presented at the Postgraduate Conference on Interdisciplinary Learning: Re-Imagining Postgraduate Studies in the 21st Century and Beyond. Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

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Mar 26th, 2:30 PM Mar 26th, 2:40 PM

Development of pressure monitoring undergarment for scoliotic brace treatment

This project is aimed to develop a pressure monitoring undergarment by integrating the fibre bragg grating sensors (FBGs) and knitted garment, so overall pressure distribution and dynamic pressure exerted by braces on Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients can be investigated. AIS is a 3D spinal deformity arising in children aged 10 to 16. Bracing is the most prevalent conservative treatment to alleviate curve progression to the threshold for surgery by exerting active pressure. However, prolonged stress of the hard brace often causes physical discomfort, such as skin irritation and pressure ulcers. Moreover, the current ideal level of pressure is not standardised, so the applied pressure is mainly relying on orthotist’ s judgement. It implies that orthotists might overestimate patient’s tolerance to reach their expected in-brace corrective results, so it may eventually reduce patients’ brace compliance and treatment successfulness. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor pressure and adjust the tightness accordantly while keeping the brace efficacy. Existing pressure sensors have two main inadequacies, namely shifting problem and no overall pressure distribution. The high flexibility pressure monitoring undergarment could be one of the solutions because it tightly fits the human torso and equipped with more than 20 sensing points, so overall pressure can be known. Also, the collected data can be used to determine the optimum brace corrective forces and desired pressure comfort.