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Foot function sensor

  • US 9,357,947 B2
  • Filed: 10/23/2009
  • Issued: 06/07/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A sensing system for use with footwear, said sensing system comprising:

  • an insert for placement on the support surface of the footwear for supporting the foot of a user of said footwear, said insert including;

    a base sized for positioning on the support surface of the footwear and configured to move and deflect to form a plurality of detents in said base and said support surface by a force applied by said user'"'"'s foot at each of a plurality of support areas of said user'"'"'s foot,said base being made of material that is deflectable upon application of each of said plurality of forces thereto at each of said plurality of support areas;

    a plurality of sensors associated with said base and positioned to sense deflection of said base with said support surface into each of said plurality of detents by said force applied at each of said plurality of support areas of said user'"'"'s foot, each of said plurality of sensors being positioned and configured to transmit detection signals reflective of said deflection at its respective support area, each of said plurality of sensors including a substrate made of an electrically insulating material with a resistance material deposited thereon which resistance material is a layer of epoxy and conductive ink mixture that has opposite spaced apart ends and which resistance material predictably changes electrical resistance after application to said substrate upon said deflection;

    connector means connected to said to said resistance material of each of said plurality of sensors to receive said detection signals therefrom and to transmit said detection signals reflective of the deflection detected by each of said plurality of sensors;

    converter means connected to said connector means to receive said detection signals therefrom said converter means being configured to process said detection signals and to supply digital detection signals reflective of said deflection of each of said plurality of sensors;

    memory means in communication with said converter means to receive said digital detection signals therefrom, said memory means being configured to receive and store said digital detection signals and said memory means being configured to supply said digital detection signals;

    computer means connected to receive said digital detection signals, said computer means being configured to compute said deflection of said base at each of said plurality of support areas of said user'"'"'s foot as reflected by said digital detection signals, and said computer means being configured to display a perceivable image reflective of said deflection of each of said plurality of sensors in each of support areas of said user'"'"'s foot; and

    power supply means for supplying power to said insert, said converter means, said memory means and said computer means.

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