Faculty Collaboration Database

A Holter-type microprocessor-based rehabilitation instrument for acquisition and storage of plantar pressure data in children with cerebral palsy. IEEE Trans Rehabil Eng 1996 Mar;4(1):33-8

Date

03/01/1996

Pubmed ID

8798070

DOI

10.1109/86.486055

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0030110918 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   21 Citations

Abstract

A multichannel, portable data acquisition system has been developed to measure discrete plantar pressures in the rehabilitation of children who have cerebral palsy and planovalgus foot deformity. The microprocessor-based system is designed to be lightweight (350 g with batteries) and portable (no umbilicus) in order to minimize encumbrances to gait patterns. It provides an improved method for obtaining accurate and reliable data during extended recording and rehabilitative periods that is not available from commercial systems. Twelve conductive polymer force (pressure) sensors are used to acquire pressure data, which are then stored in the system memory. Plantar pressures are sampled at a rate of 40 Hz from each of the 12 sensors for up to 2 h. The system consists of 16 analog amplifiers, a 12 b sampling analog-to-digital converter, an 8 b Dallas semiconductor microprocessor (DS5001FP-16, Dallas, TX), 4 MB of pseudo static RAM, and serial and parallel I/O interfaces. The interfaces are used to upload data into a PC for further processing, analysis, and display. During subject testing, sensors are located at predetermined anatomic areas under the calcaneus, medial and lateral midfoot, medial and lateral metatarsal heads, and hallux. Foot pressure data has been acquired from two pediatric subjects during multiple walking trials to illustrate system application in the normal and planovalgus foot. The system is considered to be appropriate for further clinical application and for characterization of event related alterations including rehabilitative, therapeutic, surgical, and nonsurgical treatment.

Author List

Abu-Faraj ZO, Harris GF, Abler JH, Wertsch JJ, Smith PA

Author

Gerald F. Harris Emeritus Professor in the Orthopaedic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Cerebral Palsy
Child
Equipment Design
Foot
Foot Deformities, Congenital
Gait
Humans
Microcomputers
Monitoring, Physiologic
Pressure