×

Apparatus and method for monitoring contact pressure between body parts and contact surfaces

  • US 5,253,656 A
  • Filed: 05/23/1991
  • Issued: 10/19/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. Apparatus adapted to monitor pressure at a plurality of locations along an exterior surface of a body part to produce a force profile corresponding to a distribution of force caused by pressure of said body part against a contact surface, comprising:

  • (a) a plurality of pressure sensors organized in an array on at least one strip of flexible substrate material conformable to the contour of the exterior surface of said body part such that said sensors are adapted to be interposed between and in contact with both the exterior surface of said body part and said contact surface at selected locations at which pressure is to be monitored, each of said sensors operative in response to compressive pressure between the exterior of said body part and said contact surface at its respective location to generate a force signal proportional to the pressure therebetween;

    (b) monitor means in communication with the array of said sensors for receiving the force signal produced by each respective said sensor and for producing an output signal having pressure data corresponding to the pressure sensed by the respective said sensor, said monitor means including address means for addressing each of said sensors in said array with a unique address corresponding to its position in said array;

    (c) processing means in communication with said monitor means for receiving and processing the output signals to produce the force profile defining the distribution of force corresponding to the magnitude and location of pressure exerted between the contact surface and the exterior surface of said body part, said processing means including command means for generating a read signal operative to cause said monitor means to produce a set of said output signals correlated to each sensor and to communicate said set of output signals to said processing means as a read event; and

    (d) a plurality of switch means each operative to produce a switch active signal when in an active state, said monitor means operative after receipt of said read signal to initiate a read event in response to each switch active signal.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×