Abstract
Compression therapy is widely used as the gold standard for management of chronic venous insufficiency and venous leg ulcers, and the amount of pressure applied during the compression therapy is crucial in supporting healing. A fibre optic pressure sensor using Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) is developed in this paper to measure sub-bandage pressure whilst removing cross-sensitivity due to strain in the fibre and temperature. The interface pressure is measured by an FBG encapsulated in a polymer and housed in a textile to minimise discomfort for the patient. The repeatability of a manual fabrication process is investigated by fabricating and calibrating ten sensors. A customized calibration setup consisting of a programmable translation stage and a weighing scale gives sensitivities in the range 0.4–1.5 pm/mmHg (2.6–11.3 pm/kPa). An alternative calibration method using a rigid plastic cylinder and a blood pressure cuff is also demonstrated. Investigations are performed with the sensor under a compression bandage on a phantom leg to test the response of the sensor to changing pressures in static situations. Measurements are taken on a human subject to demonstrate changes in interface pressure under a compression bandage during motion to mimic a clinical application. These results are compared to the current gold standard medical sensor using a Bland–Altman analysis, with a median bias ranging from −4.6 to −20.4 mmHg, upper limit of agreement (LOA) from −13.5 to 2.7 mmHg and lower LOA from −32.4 to −7.7 mmHg. The sensor has the potential to be used as a training tool for nurses and can be left in situ to monitor bandage pressure during compression therapy.
Highlights
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Compression therapy is the application of pressure to the body, usually to the limb, using bandages, hosiery, or other devices
Results are shown to demonstrate the response of the fibre optic pressure sensor (FOPS) to compression bandages being applied on a phantom limb, and pressure values produced in a mock clinical application
The Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) and the textiles were produced commercially with a high degree of repeatability, the polymer encapsulation of the pressure measurement of FBG was made by hand in the lab, which led to variations in sensitivity between the ten sensors
Summary
Compression therapy is the application of pressure to the body, usually to the limb, using bandages, hosiery, or other devices. It is established as the treatment of choice for venous diseases such as chronic venous insufficiency and venous leg ulcers (VLUs), aiming to reduce and correct the symptoms of valvular incompetence and venous hypertension [1,2]. Compression therapy is used in the treatment and prevention of lymphoedema and burn scars [3]. Up to 3% of the global adult population will be affected by VLUs [4,5], creating a financial burden on health services around the world. A study in the United Kingdom analysed 11 years’ worth of data (2007–2017) and found an annual national cost of over
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