Printed MWCNT-PDMS-Composite Pressure Sensor System for Plantar Pressure Monitoring in Ulcer Prevention

In this paper, a low cost and flexible plantar pressure monitoring system is presented that is suited for everyday use to prevent pressure ulcers. To define the technical specifications of the sensor system, a gait analysis study was carried out. Analysis of measured data based on a multivariate approach and neural network classification shows that it is possible to dissociate between healthy and unhealthy rollover patterns. To implement a pressure sensor element, a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-composite was selected. A sensor matrix made of the composite was fully printed to enable pressure distribution measurements. As a final application, a printed insole was fabricated with six single MWCNT-PDMS pressure sensors that were situated on characteristic points of the insole to detect the unhealthy rollover patterns. Its functionality to measure plantar pressures was proven on a human foot inside a running shoe during walking.