title: Development and evaluation of a new contoured cushion system with an optimized normalization algorithm.
abstract: Prevention of pressure sores remains a significant problem confronting spinal cord injury patients and the elderly with limited mobility. One vital aspect of this subject concerns the development of cushions to decrease pressure ulcers for seated patients, particularly those bound by wheelchairs. Here, we present a novel cushion system that employs interface pressure distribution between the cushion and the buttocks to design custom contoured foam cushion. An optimized normalization algorithm was proposed, with which interface pressure distribution was transformed into the carving depth of foam cushions according to the biomechanical characteristics of the foam. The shape and pressure-relief performance of the custom contoured foam cushions was investigated. The outcomes showed that the contoured shape of personalized cushion matched the buttock contour very well. Moreover, the custom contoured cushion could alleviate pressure under buttocks and increase subjective comfort and stability significantly. Furthermore, the fabricating method not only decreased the unit production cost but also simplified the procedure for manufacturing. All in all, this prototype seat cushion would be an effective and economical way to prevent pressure ulcers.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710065, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sujiao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shaanxi Bo'ai Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710065, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhengxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710065, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D002081:Buttocks / Q000502:physiology*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D014910:Wheelchairs
keywords: Prototype; custom-contoured cushion (CCC); manufacture system; optimized normalization algorithm; pressure sores