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

  • US 5,993,400 A
  • Filed: 10/18/1993
  • Issued: 11/30/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus adapted to monitor pressure at a plurality of locations along an exterior surface of a body part of a user 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 and adapted to be interposed between and in contact with 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 sensor;

    (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 generate said output signals and to communicate a set of said output signals correlated to each of said sensors to define a read event; and

    (d) at least one switch means adapted to be positioned remotely of said processing means and in proximity to said body part, said switch means for producing a switch active signal in response to one of a plurality of events initiated by force caused by said body part acting on said switch means and indicative of specific pressure states on said body part, said monitor means operative after receipt of said read signal to initiate a read event in response to said switch active signal.

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