Currently, prosthetic fitting is very subjective. Little exists In the way of transducers to aid the prosthetist. Proposed herein is a transducer, made of a thin piezoelectric film. that could measure loads at the stump/prosthetic interface. This file has the properties of flexibility, dynamic range and small - size to meet the requirements of these measurements. Its use would greatly increase the speed of fitting an amputee and, more importantly, the quality of the fit. With an estimate of 200,000 poorly-fitted prostheses in the U.S., this device would go far in reducing the suffering, frustration, and consequent dejection of the our large population of amputees.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter