Translated Abstract
In the rehabilitation engineering area, the pressure ulcers prevention is an important and healthy problem, especially for the elderly with crotch fracture and hemiplegia, and the people with the spinal cord injured (SCI). The goals of this research are: 1) to develop a computer assistive design and computer assistive manufacture (CAD/CAM) platform and the rules of technique operation that can be used to manufacture custom cushions for China users who need low cost cushions to prevent pressure ulcer 2）to develop a cushion evaluation platform with a Force Sensor Array (FSA) and a test protocol.The main projects in this research included: 1) based on the principle that good pressure distribution of buttocks-cushion interface can effectively reduce the incident of pressure ulcers, a mathematics model that describes the relationship among cushion shape, cushion materials and pressure distribution of buttocks-cushion interface, was set up 2) according to the ASTM D 3574-95, a test procedure was designed and the force-deformation function relation of cushion materials was acquired by the test. Based on the Tekscan Clinseat pressure assessment system, a standard clinical experiment protocol for the collection of interface pressure distribution was developed. The mathematics model that describes the relation between the interface pressure and cut depth was established and a CAD model of cushion shape was built up using a CAD modeling software 3) a process for the three-axis numerical controlled tool of the CAD/CAM cushion cutting system was designed and 4) a standard cushion evaluation platform and a standard clinical experiment protocol for cushion evaluation was developed. A subject was recruited into this research and three custom contoured cushions for her were designed, fabricated, and evaluated using the platforms and related protocols above-mentioned. The pressure distribution data of buttocks-cushion interface was collected when the subject sat on an initial cushion. According to the pressure distribution data and parameters of cushion material mechanics property that was acquired in the material mechanics test, an individual mathematics model was built and was transferred into a CAD model. And then, a custom cushion was cut using the CAD/CAM system. The pressure re-distribution data of buttock-cushion interface was collected again when the subject sat on the custom cushion. The results showed that the custom cushion has a better pressure distribution compared to the initial flat cushion. To sum up, the CAD/CAM cushion cutting system, FSA cushion evaluation platform and related procedures are suitable to be used for design, fabrication and evaluation of custom cushions.Further research could focus on the optimization of the fabrication procedure to improve production efficiency. The FEA model could be developed to optimize the design of the custom cushion. It can be expected that the research and development work will result in an effective tool to develop custom cushions for pressure ulcers prevention in the near future. The kind of cushion is low cost and is suitable for China marketing. It would be of significance to improve the life quality of the people at the high risk of pressure ulcers development.
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