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Assessing the feasibility of plantar pressure measurement devices for monitoring the diabetic population
The goal of the project is to assess the feasibility of using commercially available plantar pressure monitoring devices (so called smart insoles) on the diabetic population. Pressure ulcers are a common complication of the diabetic foot, and monitoring plantar pressure continuously is a potential measure of prevention. Diabetic patients are often prescribed personalized footwear (e.g., curved insoles that accommodate any deformity in the feet). This project aims at assessing the potential of the smart insoles available on the market to monitor plantar pressure in diabetic patients with such custom footwear.
Keywords: wearables, mobile health, prevention, plantar pressure monitoring, diabetic foot
Wearable technology for mobile health applications is increasingly popular thanks to its unobtrusiveness and the possibility to continuously monitor physiological parameters. Pressure ulcers are a common complication of the diabetic foot, and monitoring plantar pressure is a promising measure to prevent foot ulcers. Pressure sensitive (smart) insoles have been developed to measure pressure in-shoe. A major limitation of these systems is the inability to fully conform to the curvature of custom-made shoe inserts and orthotics that are prescribed to diabetic people for offloading.
The goal of this project is to assess the effect of shoe inserts curvature on the accuracy of smart insoles pressure measurements, as this determines the feasibility of use in the diabetic population. Preliminary data from five healthy participants is available, and additional data will be collected using the two main smart insoles technologies on the market.
This project offers the opportunity to work in the attractive and challenging field of wearable devices for health monitoring with a concrete approach to real world use, spanning several aspects from data collection from human participants (and related protocol definition) to data analysis.
Wearable technology for mobile health applications is increasingly popular thanks to its unobtrusiveness and the possibility to continuously monitor physiological parameters. Pressure ulcers are a common complication of the diabetic foot, and monitoring plantar pressure is a promising measure to prevent foot ulcers. Pressure sensitive (smart) insoles have been developed to measure pressure in-shoe. A major limitation of these systems is the inability to fully conform to the curvature of custom-made shoe inserts and orthotics that are prescribed to diabetic people for offloading. The goal of this project is to assess the effect of shoe inserts curvature on the accuracy of smart insoles pressure measurements, as this determines the feasibility of use in the diabetic population. Preliminary data from five healthy participants is available, and additional data will be collected using the two main smart insoles technologies on the market. This project offers the opportunity to work in the attractive and challenging field of wearable devices for health monitoring with a concrete approach to real world use, spanning several aspects from data collection from human participants (and related protocol definition) to data analysis.
Goals
• Analyze previously collected data on smart insoles (F-scan) and smart treadmill
• Critically amend the data collection protocol where needed
• Collect and analyze additional data with both F-scan and Pedar (commercial smart insole systems)
• Write a scientific project report
Tasks
• Literature review (10%)
• Data collection (35%)
• Data analysis (40%)
• Reporting and presentation (15%)
Your Profile
• Background in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical engineering, Electronics Engineering, Medical Technology or related fields
• Independent worker with critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to collect data from healthy participants
Goals • Analyze previously collected data on smart insoles (F-scan) and smart treadmill • Critically amend the data collection protocol where needed • Collect and analyze additional data with both F-scan and Pedar (commercial smart insole systems) • Write a scientific project report Tasks • Literature review (10%) • Data collection (35%) • Data analysis (40%) • Reporting and presentation (15%) Your Profile • Background in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical engineering, Electronics Engineering, Medical Technology or related fields • Independent worker with critical thinking and problem-solving skills • Willingness to collect data from healthy participants
Prof Dr Carlo Menon and PhD student Valeria Galli will supervise the student and the research will be performed at ETH Zurich’s Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology research group (www.bmht.ethz.ch) in the Balgrist Campus in Zurich, Switzerland. To apply, use the button below to tell us why you want to do this project ("motivation"); attach a short CV, your grades (transcript) and any other info you deem relevant.
Prof Dr Carlo Menon and PhD student Valeria Galli will supervise the student and the research will be performed at ETH Zurich’s Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology research group (www.bmht.ethz.ch) in the Balgrist Campus in Zurich, Switzerland. To apply, use the button below to tell us why you want to do this project ("motivation"); attach a short CV, your grades (transcript) and any other info you deem relevant.