Foot Ulcer Assessment System Using LabVIEW

Abstract

Foot ulcers are developed as a result of uncontrolled diabetes which could develop neuropathy at the foot which in turn could develop into ulcers due to injuries at the foot. A poor blood circulation is a form of the vascular disease in which blood does not flow to your feet efficiently. Poor circulation can also make it more difficult for ulcers to heal. They are most common on your big toes and the balls of your feet and can affect your feet down to the bones. Treatment for diabetic foot ulcers varies depending on their causes. This paper proposes a system that can be used to find the areas where foot ulcers are likely to be caused, by measuring the voltage distribution by each area of the foot while standing or at gait. This is accomplished by using six piezoelectric sensors aligned properly at six pressure points of the foot. The data from the sensors are processed by using Arduino and are analyzed with the help of a newly developed LabVIEW program. This information is very useful for physicians for diagnosis and treatment of patients who are in the early stage of developing foot ulcers.

Keywords: diabetes, foot ulcer, gait, LabVIEW, voltage

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