Evaluating Pressure Ulcer Development in Wheelchair-Bound Population Using Sitting Posture Identification

Abstract

Pressure ulcers are a common complication among wheelchair-bound population. They are resulted from prolonged exposure to high pressure, which restricts blood flow and leads to tissue necrosis. In this work, a continuous pressure monitoring system is developed for pressure ulcer prevention. The system consists of 64 pressure sensors on a 40×50 cm2 sheet. Real time pressure data and corresponding maps are displayed on a computer simultaneously. Furthermore, a posture detection procedure is proposed for sitting posture identification. Having information about the patient’s postural history, caregivers are capable of a better decision about repositioning and treating the patient.