An Interface Pressure Sensor for Routine Clinical Use

Abstract

The art of fitting the environment to the patient is sadly lacking. There are at least 24 000 patients in Great Britain suffering from pressure sores. The art will not improve until relevant parameters of tissue viability are measured routinely wherever patients are cared for. Disorders of temperature and blood pressure were not understood until standard measurements were widely taken. What are the relevant parameters for disorders of tissue viability? The authors single out pressure and movement, and note that pressure recorded with time will also monitor movement. They offer their flanged 28 mm electro-pneumatic pressure sensor as a possible standard instrument for most clinical purposes whether research or routine.

The discussion covers the theoretical objections to interface pressure measurement, analyses the sources of error in their electro-pneumatic technique and compares its accuracy to that of other transducers.

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