S.M. Gratiano, T. Herzog, A.M. Marquant, M.Z. McPheron, A.C. Proulx, E. Sage, C.R. Thomas, P.D. Williams

School of Engineering, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI 02809, USA

Injuries to the feet and ankles currently affect over 1 million people in the United States every year.  Treatment of these injuries involves immobilizing the extremity with an orthotic air cast and prescribing partial weight bearing restrictions.  Avoiding excessive loads prevents further damage to the injury and allows for a quicker recovery.  However, outside of physical therapy, the patients are incapable of accurately judging the loads they are applying on their foot.  This paper presents work completed to develop a monitoring device that safely records and continuously tracks the load applied through the foot of an injured patient. The device is placed in an orthotic air cast and alerts the patient via audio signal and mobile device notification when the prescribed weight bearing restriction has been exceeded.  In addition, the health care professional can review the history of the loads placed on the extremity to ensure proper recovery. The data is also can be transmitted and viewed on a patient’s cellular device through a mobile application, giving them the opportunity to view their recovery progress.  The monitoring system consists of two main parts: the pressure plates with sensors, and the electrical/computer components. The sensors are placed in between the pressure plates, which are placed on the sole of the orthotic air cast, while the computer and electrical components are housed in an enclosure on the frame attached to the air cast.  The device was designed to be compatible with any brand of orthotic air cast as to eliminate the need for modification and add ease to potential manufacturing.  This paper details the design and development process for the device, which includes fabrication of a prototype and initial testing.