System to Measure Elasticity of the Skin on the Feet of Patients with Diabetes
People with diabetes can develop a form of nerve damage that can lead to sores, particularly on the extremities, potentially leading to more severe complications. In order to prevent such sores, the skin properties of both diabetic and non-diabetic people must be clearly understood.
Students designed and built a portable device for a clinical study measuring the material properties of the tissue on the underside of the foot (plantar tissue). They also had to write software in LabVIEW to capture data, perform calculations, and prepare reports.
Clinical studies using the device are being conducted by Dr. Juan Garbalosa at Quinnipiac University with the expectation that a better understanding of the plantar tissues will lead to better outcomes of interventions such as surgery.
- Amos Howard, University of Hartford
- Maria Qadri, University of Hartford
The Center
for Life Support and Sustainable Living is funded in part through a grant from the
National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education program. Copyright
2008. All rights reserved.