Characterization of measurements from pressure sensitive mats using an anthropomorphic body model

摘要

Pressure sensitive mats provide an opportunity for non-intrusive continuous monitoring of patient health and physiology. Pressure sensitive mats have been used to analyze balance, bed transfers, pressure ulcers and sleep. This paper describes a model that can be used to measure the characteristics of pressure sensitive mats. The main contribution of this paper is the design and fabrication of a 2D and 3D model of an older adult female (70 yrs, 1.59m and 71.6kg). The design was based on anthropomorphic data from literature. The final anthropomorphic model was validated using a human subject. The model can be used to simulate various health conditions, such as frailty in older adults. The paper demonstrates that the mat can detect slight mass variations at the ankle typical of fluid retention experienced by patients suffering from congestive heart failure. These findings have implications in early detection and intervention of these and other conditions involving changes in mass.