Author(s):
Carvalho, Miguel 
; Ferreira, Fernando ; Carvalho, Helder ; Rocha, J. G. ; Martins, Luís Barreiros ; Santos, Jorge A.
Date: 2009
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/9627
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Subject(s): Pressure ulcers; Textile sensor; Capacitive sensor
Description
Project aims to develop a system that allows to provide to the People with Special Needs(PSN) a relief to the level of the sensitive perception of discomfort, assuring greater independence,welfare, quality of life, prevention of illnesses/wounds, through the development of textile and polymers applications (cushions, mattresses and mattresses overlays) with functions of monitoring and control of pressure in the body's areas in contact with the support surfaces.
In this group of PSN will be enclosed the people with serious motor limitations conditioning their mobility/deambulation, such as bed rest people, patients under effect of sedatives or anaesthesia during long surgeries (intra and post operative), patients and users in general of wheelchairs. These people have, for the most part of the cases, a commitment of sensitivity in the body's areas in contact with the support surfaces, or its motor capacity does not allow them to move regularly of position autonomously, as it would do a healthy person unconsciously. Then, insufficient sanguineous irrigation occurs as result of pressure exceeding too long the tissue capillary pressure depriving tissues of oxygen and essential nutrients, owing to ischemia and hypoxia, which then causes the pressure ulcers (PU) development.
