Smart Rehabilitation aids with Pressure Sensing Technology
The healthcare sector faces a myriad of challenges in 2024. An ageing population, persistent workforce shortage, and escalating costs are leading many to consider whether technology may hold the key to addressing how the medical sector will need to evolve for the future.
Pressure mapping technology has historically only been available in limited applications because of the expense and limitations of the available hardware. Medical devices need to be accurate, reliable and durable, and sealed from water and dust so they don’t pose an infection risk. They need to be comfortable, easy to use, and adjust to a patient’s body and movements.
When this is done well, pressure mapping can be incredibly useful in a medical setting, allowing clinicians to develop a deeper understanding of a patient’s condition and optimise their care. The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s paralysis, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, alongside a need to invest in preventative treatments, is expected to drive the demand for such systems.
TG0 believes that incorporating this technology could be as easy as converting everyday objects already being used within a medical setting into accurate pressure and force sensors. Healthcare workers will be empowered to provide better care, patients will be able to look after their own conditions, with the support of remote monitoring, and the overall pressure currently being felt in the system can be significantly reduced.
Here’s how:
Rehab aids
Such monitoring would also prove useful for rehab and physio. Foot and ankle injuries are notoriously difficult to judge without X-rays and MRI scans, which can make the effectiveness of treatment plans difficult to judge. With pressure mapping insoles, clinicians can assess how someone is walking, their gait cycle, where patients are putting pressure on their feet, and if they’re completing prescribed exercises correctly. Much of this can be done remotely, and patients can track their own progress too.
Pressure mapping can be useful in grip devices too, such as TG0’s etee controller. The device detects individual finger movement and force and has already been tested with post-stroke patients, with encouraging results. Tiny changes can be tracked to accurately monitor progress, and effort amplified through games to keep patients motivated and on track.
