Abstract
This paper pertains to the development & evaluation of a dielectric electroactive polymer-based tactile pressure sensor and its circuitry. The evaluations conceived target the sensor’s use case as an in-situ measurement device assessing load conditions imposed by compression garments in either static form or dynamic pulsations. Several testing protocols are described to evaluate and characterize the sensor’s effectiveness for static and dynamic response such as repeatability, linearity, dynamic effectiveness, hysteresis effects of the sensor under static conditions, sensitivity to measurement surface curvature and temperature and humidity effects. Compared to pneumatic sensors in similar physiological applications, this sensor presents several significant advantages including better spatial resolution, compact packaging, manufacturability for smaller footprints and overall simplicity for use in array configurations. The sampling rates and sensitivity are also less prone to variability compared to pneumatic pressure sensors. The presented sensor has a high sampling rate of 285 Hz that can further assist with the physiological applications targeted for improved cardiac performance. An average error of ± 5.0 mmHg with a frequency of 1–2 Hz over a range of 0 to 120 mmHg was achieved when tested cyclically.
Highlights
Lower limb compression garments are regularly employed in clinical settings [1] and, more recently, by athletes seeking to improve performance or decrease recovery time [2,3]
Partsch et al [8] made recommendations on the characteristics that an ideal sensor would need in order to measure the interface pressure between a compression garment and the lower leg skin
This paper assesses the feasibility of a capacitance-based dielectric electroactive polymer (DEAP) sensor technology for tactile pressure measurement in compression garment applications
Summary
Lower limb compression garments are regularly employed in clinical settings [1] and, more recently, by athletes seeking to improve performance or decrease recovery time [2,3]. Partsch et al [8] made recommendations on the characteristics that an ideal sensor would need in order to measure the interface pressure between a compression garment and the lower leg skin. Pneumatic-based sensors are one of the most prevalent designs for measuring compression garment interfacial pressure [9]. The average hysteresis error across the applied pressures was computed to be +/− 3.0 mmHg. The overall error of the sensor in this test setup is just outside +/− 5.0 mmHg as shown in Figure 9 which displays the predicted pressures versus the actual pressures using the aforementioned sensitivity calibration. In the case of the mass test, the rigid surface in contact with the sensor results in a smaller sensitivity for similar pressure values. The average measurement noise iMs iacrpompracohxinimes 2a0t1e9ly, 10+,/x−FO0.R18PEpEFR(R+E/V−IE1W.8 mmHg)
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