PPS Insights

INTRODUCTION

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints and cartilage. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are conditions caused, prolonged or made worse by work conditions. Ergonomics / human factors considers the interaction between humans and other parts of a system. A goal of ergonomics is to reduce stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks.

A workplace ergonomics program can aim to prevent or control injuries and illnesses by eliminating or reducing worker exposure to WMSD risk factors using engineering and administrative controls. Risk factors include awkward postures, repetition, material handling, force, mechanical compression and duration of exposure.

There is strong evidence that job tasks that require a combination of risk factors (e.g., highly repetitious, forceful hand/wrist exertions) increase risk for hand/wrist tendinitis. Fifty percent of industries reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) rely heavily on the use of hand tools. 

Our TactileGlove system continues to lead the market in the analysis of contact mechanics between objects and the human hand - the hand ergonomics. After the resounding success seen with the 4th revision of the TactileGlove we got straight to work in designing the next iteration of this ground breaking system.

Despite advancements in various imaging modalities, the simple sense of touch has remained among the most-effective means of detecting breast and prostate cancer. But while breast exams and digital rectal exams have proven to be reliable methods of detection, they are subjective in nature. By capturing and quantifying the sense of touch into reproducible, objective data, however, capacitive tactile sensor solutions hold the potential to revolutionize cancer detection.

When Pressure Profile Systems (PPS) began targeting medical device applications for our capacitive tactile sensing technology, I didn’t realize just how many lives we might touch.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has revolutionized patient care by dramatically reducing trauma and recovery time. Yet despite the benefit for patients, this transition to minor incisions has presented a major obstacle for some surgeons who lament the loss of their sense of touch during a procedure. In an effort to meet this unmet clinical need, researchers are exploring ways to replicate the sense of touch through the integration of capacitive tactile sensors into next-generation MIS instruments.

The incorporation of capacitive tactile sensing technology into medical, robotics, automotive, and a host of other applications is paving the way for the development of many innovative products. But there are inevitably still a few bumps in the road to producing a commercializable product that features sophisticated tactile pressure sensors.

Achieving proper implant placement and alignment during knee-replacement surgery is a feat that literally requires a delicate balancing act by orthopaedic surgeons. By spurring the development of emerging knee-balancing technologies, however, capacitive tactile sensors hold the potential to improve postoperative function and pain relief by supplying quantifiable pressure data.

Checking one’s pulse is both simple and familiar: Press two fingers against the radial artery in the wrist and count the beats to determine heart rate. But while this act can indicate heart rhythm and strength of pulse, it reveals little else about a person’s health. Thanks to capacitive tactile pressure sensing technology, however, this most basic of medical procedures can now be leveraged to obtain more-insightful patient data.

In the world of tactile pressure sensors, you’re often only as good as what you’re able to demonstrate. As such, calibrating pressure sensors is a crucially important process.

Often intimidated by the relatively new technology, many engineers tend to err on the side of caution and overspec capacitive tactile sensor solutions. They want it all: the best resolution, the most sensors, the fastest speeds, and the best performance. Unfortunately, that wish list simply isn’t feasible.

Selecting the best pressure sensor for a given application can be a pressing issue for design engineers. Luckily, when it comes to capturing the sense of touch in a product, there are two primary tactile sensor technology options from which to choose.

There are basically two ways to capitalize on capacitive tactile sensor technology for Medical applications: augment the sense of touch or replace it. In the interest of exploring this area, we’ve compiled a list of five fun and fascinating potential medical uses for capacitive tactile sensors.

Pressure is a key consideration for any product that requires either prolonged body contact or contact with a particularly sensitive part of the body. Integrating capacitive tactile pressure sensors into the testing and development process, however, can help ensure that such products won’t cause pain, injury, or agitation for the user.

Ask the average man on the street to identify the most important aspect of designing a sleep apnea mask, and he might suggest function or reliability. Ask a patient who actually has to wear a sleep apnea mask, however, and she’s likely to cite an equally significant factor that might not be quite as obvious: 

Capacitive tactile sensing has been a driving force in the popularization of such ubiquitous touchscreen-based technologies as smartphones and tablets. In order to fully explore the potential of capacitive tactile sensors, however, engineers must first understand the basics of the technology. To that end, we’ve put together a quick primer on tactile pressure-measurement systems to bring you up to speed.

Though it might not be obvious to the casual observer, the clothing worn by Olympic and professional athletes can be as sophisticated and technologically advanced as anything else in their toolbox. Beyond simply making the athletes look good or protecting them from the elements, their outfits are often engineered to perform specific functions for their sport - such as reducing drag or optimizing muscle use.

Capacitive tactile sensors are putting pioneering products on the map that run the gamut from enabling early detection of cancer to enhancing headset comfort. Yet despite capacitive tactile sensing’s contribution to the development of cutting-edge products, it is—like any technology—not without its drawbacks. Below we touch upon three distinct drawbacks of capacitive sensors

Widely used in the field of biomechanics, pressure mapping has historically provided a visual representation of pressure distribution for the optimization of such products as wheelchair cushions and orthotics. Capacitive tactile sensors are opening the door for the development of a multitude of innovative new medical devices, however, by taking pressure mapping technology to the next level and quantifying the sense of touch.