Communications of the ACM
A Better Prosthesis: Sandia Invents Sensor to Learn About Fit
Sandia National Laboratories researcher Jason Wheeler demonstrates a liner aimed at helping prosthetic limbs fit better.
Credit: Randy Montoya
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) researchers working as part of the Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Cybernetics group are developing a sensor to determine how an amputated limb changes over the course of a day, as well as a system that automatically accommodates those changes in a prosthesis.
The system includes an custom-made interface between prosthesis and limb, starting with a cast of the area. The sensor fits in between the limb and the prosthesis to monitor the fit and detect changes, and it detects pressure in three different directions, says SNL researcher Jason Wheeler. The three-axis pressure sensor is incorporated into a liner that slips into the socket of a prosthesis. "This extra information gives you better ability to know when you need to make modifications because the shear pressures tend to be a little more sensitive to changes in socket shape than normal pressures," Wheeler says.
The system automatically adjusts socket shape by moving fluid into bladders inside the liners that amputees typically wear to enhance a socket's fit and comfort. Depending on the specific need of the patient, a liner can incorporate both sensors and bladders.
From Sandia National Laboratories
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