The 2012 Biomedical Engineering International Conference (BMEiCON-2012)

Low Cost and Customized Plantar Pressure Analyzer for Foot Pressure Image in Rehabilitation Foot Clinic
K. Petsarb*, C. Apaiwong, C. Phairoh, R. Rattanakajornsak and Y. Kajornpredanon
Center for Biomedical Instrument Research and Development, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, THAILAND. *stkpt@mahidol.ac.th
AbstractPlantar pressure image is generally accepted as an effective tool to analyze a foot pathology and disorder in foot care investigation for a long time. In this research, we propose a preliminary study on the design and construction of low cost and customized plantar pressure analyzer for foot pressure image in a general rehabilitation foot clinic. A single bare foot loading platform is designed to measure a spread of plantar pressure inwhich combined of 72 force sensitive sensor in a form of fix array 6x12 matrix. An appropriate GUI software is specially designed in order to fit with a clinician user true requirement in both 2D and 3D pressure distribution analysis. Finally, database system for storage and retrieving in follow-up process also well develop. Not only an interesting output obtained from this study, this research also guide us to develop more customized and appropriated foot care scanner system for using in general hospital in the future. Keywords; Plantar pressure analysis, foot pressure image, force resistive sensor.

S. Daochai
Faculty of Nursing, Western University, Kanchanaburi, THAILAND.

In this research, we propose a design of low cost plantar pressure analyzer system for using in a customized foot care clinic. Force plate is intently designed to compose of 6 12 force sensing resistor (FRS) for only one bare foot measurement. An interfacing circuit that monitored by a microcontroller is connected to laptop computer via general USB port. GUI program in which incorporately designed base on conceptual rehabilitationist requirement is able to provide foot pressure image, 3D force contour and quantitative pressure data analysis with respect to an individual user definition or each treatment planning. Patient diagnostic supporting report also provided as a database system or hard copy for follow-up process. Beside from a system development that designed to meet a true user requirement, our foot pressure imaging system also guide us to develop an in-shoe system or even though a modify system that can record foot pressure while patient walking or on activity which will be our research task in nearly future. This article is proposed as following. An introduction and design of plantar pressure analyzer is presented in section 1 and 2 respectively. In section 2, hardware concept as forced resistive load sensor, foot mapping plate and interfacing circuit is described in detail. Main algorithm of control and appropriated GUI programming is following mentioned in section 3. Section 4 is our experimental protocol and testing results in term of quantitative data analysis and customized final report. Discussion and conclusion is proposed finally in section 5. II. PLANTAR PRESSURE ANALYZER DESIGN

I.

INTRODUCTION

Scanning of foot pressure or plantar pressure measurement play an important role for medical diagnosis especially in an orthopedic and rehabilitation field for many year [2,5]. In general, a weighting of foot with bare or in-shoe can be represented by using foot pressure image. Condition of foot pressure profile can be reflected vitally to a complete foot anatomical structure or foot function while standing, walking or running, musculoskeletal or bio-mechanic problems and also related to some disease such as diabetes or peripheral sensory neuropathy. Pre and post operation of foot surgery and prevention of foot or joint injury in sport science also require foot pressure analysis. Treatment or implementation of those abnormalities by using foot pressure image necessarily need a foot pressure distribution pattern both diagnostic and in followup process. Many researchers try to propose their investigations about foot pressure imaging in term of system development, new assessment technique and also data management system [1-7]. However, among those expensive and complicated systems, foot pressure analyzer system in which be able to customize and appropriate to a local clinical requirement still be interested and required to design and develop continuously.

Our plantar pressure analyzer is intended to compose of foot pressure platform, signal conditioning or interfacing circuit and laptop computer as shown in Fig. 1. Each main part is described in detail as following.

Figure 1. Plantar pressure analyzer system.

978-1-4673-4892-8/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

A. Force Resistive Load Sensor and Foot Pressure Platform By consideration to a development cost, force resistive sensor (FRS) of FlexiForce is preferred to be selected as a pressure load sensor in our platform plate. A force sensing area is approximately 10 millimeter. Its reasonable cost, thin size, acceptable sensitivity and accuracy are compromisingly considered to meet our requirement. Figure 2 shows the force resistive element. The resistive characterization response to a standard load weighting of FRS was also individually sampling to test manually and show its response in Fig. 3. Foot pressure platform in our prototype system was designed as a rectangular plate with 700 300 millimeter in dimension. Polymer sheet with 5 millimeter in thickness is covered all platform plate for flexible using. At the center of this sheet, a matrix of FSR was placed as a one-foot weighting area while the remaining space is intently provided for supporting mat. Foot weighting area is aligned to compose of 6 12 FRS elements and a space between each element is approximately 0.2 millimeters. A total matrix dimension is about 250 120 millimeters in which suitable for local native foot. Figure 4 shows the alignment of FRS as one foot sensing area. As described above, this research was encouraged customizingly by a requirement of rehabilitationist in local foot clinic in which only one bare foot pressure plate is sufficiently favored for a general follow up treatment. Figure 5 shows foot platform, interfacing unit and laptop of our plantar pressure analyzer.
120 mm

Figure 4. Foot sensing area.

Figure 5. Example of a figure caption. (figure caption)

Figure 2. Force resistive element.

B. Interfacing Circuit Due to a natural property of a resistive load sensor, each loaded profile was linearity enhanced and zero span compensated by a specific nonlinear compensation circuit. Multiplexing and digitized circuit was also considered to implement with a large number of FSR element before export signal to laptop via USB port. Figure 6 shows a block diagram of data acquisition and interfacing circuit

Figure 3. Forced load resistive characterization.

Figure 6. Data acquisition and interfacing circuit.

250 mm

III.

MONITOR PROGRAM AND GUI SOFTWARE

Monitor program for control analyzer unit is divided into 4 parts as a signal implementation, pressure mapping, GUI window and data management part. Figure 7 shows a main flowchart of this monitor program. For GUI window, utility screen is specially designed to response with a requirement of collaborating rehabilitationist. As a prototype system, only basic foot pressure analysis function and necessary information is required to display on the screen. First screen is designed to show a pattern of numerical foot pressure data for each FRS element while color mapping also shows in the second screen. All numerical range and color representation can be modified or re-defined by user based on a prior standardized information. 3D contour of foot pressure distribution also analyzed and display in the third screen.

Figure 8. Numerical data mapping foot pressure image.

IV.

EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS

As a preliminary study, we implement our prototype system as a case study of normal foot distribution pattern with a healthy volunteer. Normal male subject is 43 years old, 68 Kilograms, 165 centimeters in height and 24.6 of body mass index (BMI). Right bare foot is naturally sampled to test our system in relax standing position. Figure 8-10 show the foot mapping image for each screen. From these distributions, it is clearly shown that our system can detect and analyze a force pressure weighting data from each foot sole anatomical region in range as 0.1-7.6 Kg per sensor element. All data management system also tested as data storage and retrieving even though hard copy printing.

Figure 9. Color mapping foot pressure image.

Figure 7. Main flow chart of monitor program. Figure 10. 3D mapping foot pressure image.

V.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

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REFERENCES
N. K. Rana, Application of force sensing resistor (FSR) in design of pressure scanning system for plantar pressure measurement, in Proc. 2nd ICCEE, Dubai, 2009, pp. 678-685. R. Periyasamy, S. Anand, A. Mishra and A.C. Ammini, Static foot pressure image analysis for variation in men and women while standing, in Proc. ICSMB, Kharagpur, 2010, pp. 386-391. Y. Wahab, A. Zayegh, R. Veljanovski and Rezaul K. Begg, Microsensor for foot pressure measurement, in Proc. TENCON, Hyderabad, 2008, pp. 1-5. F. C. Soares, R. O. D. Arajo and M. P. Barbosa, Development of a software for the plantar foot pressure measurement, in Proc. COBEM, Ouro Preto, 2005, pp. 1-7. C. Giacomozzi, Appropriateness of plantar pressure measurement devices: A comparative technical assessment, Gait Posture, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 141-144, May 2010. H. Wang, S. Chen and J. Liu, Measuring system of a 3D force platform for plantar pressure distribution, in Proc. ICAL, Shenyang, 2009, pp. 906-910. G. Venugopal, B. J. Parmar, K. Rajanna and M. M. Nayak, Multi-point sensing system for plantar pressure measurement, in Proc. IEEE Sensors, Bangalore, 2007, pp. 978-981.

In this research, calibration procedure is performed precisely for each FSR and also for all element when aligned as a sensor matrix area in order to verify a systemic accuracy. However, resolution of obtained foot pressure image is still quite low due to a limitation in size of FRS element. New sensor element with small size and high sensitivity should be considered and applied for a better investigate resolution. This prototype development not only provide a useful development data but also guide us to modify this system in real clinical using especially for a dynamic measurement in the future.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author would like to thank graduate studied of Mahidol University alumni association for a thesis partial supporting scholarship.

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