To prevent pressure sores, the authors proposed a practical application of pressure-sensitive film. The film was attached directly to the hip of a wheelchair user to evaluate the concentration of weight at bony prominences. The results of the pressure distribution for a normal wheelchair seat were compared with those for a cushion, using simple image processing. The red color density of the film was digitized to an image at a resolution of 50 dpi. The image was processed to a mosaic image to eliminate high-frequency noise. A histogram of intensity, obtained from the mosaic image, was used to evaluate the concentrated weight. The maximum value, average and standard deviation represented the histogram. The result demonstrates clearly that the histogram indicates differences of pressure concentration and distribution on the wheelchair with and without the cushion. This method may be effective for preventing pressure sores.
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