Design Customized Offloading Devices to Promote Healing of Plantar Ulcers Funding Agency: Leprosy Research Initiative

Design Customized Offloading Devices to Promote Healing of Plantar Ulcers

Funding Agency: Leprosy Research Initiative

The aim of the project is to design and develop appropriate devices that will relieve the weight off the foot with anaesthesia and would help replace the bulky Plaster of Paris walking casts that are used to heal foot ulcers. These are heavy and prevent the wearer from doing their daily routine activities. A lightweight alternative device, that provides the same protection of the wound or insensitive feet without wounds would help the patient in carrying on with the routine work while the ulcer heals.
Through this project, we intend to create a design of a light weight device that can help to reduce pressure on the foot and help in healing wounds. Initially the project will focus on reviewing the existing offloading devices for the uniqueness and enabling and disabling factors in doing their activities of Daily Living (ADL) functions.
The principles would then be incorporated in developing designs that could offload plantar
pressures effectively through computer software’s. The designs would then be tested for its
effectiveness in offloading the body weight. The material properties of the light weight material would be incorporated in the simulating software and some shortlisted designs would be identified and tested for their robustness. With necessary modifications done in the designs, the design would be then prototyped and 2 working models would be created each.

The Schieffelin Institute of Health – Research & Leprosy Centre (SIH-R & LC),
Karigiri, (via Katpadi) – 632106, Vellore District,
Tamil Nadu, India.

Phone: 0416-2274-223

Mobile: 9442274224

Email: directorate@karigiri.org

Web: www.leprosyhealth.org