Zo. Abufaraj et al., A HOLTER-TYPE, MICROPROCESSOR-BASED, REHABILITATION INSTRUMENT FOR ACQUISITION AND STORAGE OF PLANTAR PRESSURE DATA, Journal of rehabilitation research and development, 34(2), 1997, pp. 187-194
A Holter-type, microprocessor-based, portable, in-shoe, plantar pressu
re data acquisition system has been developed. The system allows conti
nuous recording of pressure data between the sole of the foot and the
shoe during the performance of daily Living activities. Fourteen condu
ctive polymer sensors acquire the plantar pressure history, which is t
hen stood in the system memory. Pressures are sampled at a rate of 40
Hz from each of the 14 sensors for up to 8 hrs. The extended recording
and processing capacity of the system developed in this study allows
quantitative analysis of cumulative plantar pressure and temporal gait
data necessary for characterization of event-related alterations in p
lantar pressures. The alterations that could be examined with the syst
em include rehabilitative, therapeutic, surgical, and nonsurgical trea
tment. The system is fully portable and does not disrupt the natural g
ait pattern of the subject during ambulation. Peak plantar pressures,
pressure-time integrals, and contact durations are determined for each
of the insole sensors.