lower-limb-prosthetics | Engineering | University of Southampton Skip to main navigationSkip to main content The University of Southampton Courses Undergraduate Postgraduate taught Postgraduate research Foundation Years Pre-sessional English language courses Exchanges Customise your degree Tuition fees Funding your studies How to apply Clearing Free online learning Continuing professional development Student life Accommodation Our campuses Our cities Student community Sports and gyms Support and money Research Our impact Facilities Centres and institutes REF Funding Research & Innovation Services Partnerships Commercialising research Researcher support Research integrity Business Why work with us? 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Dr David Moser, Head of Research at Blatchford Explore this case study: The challenge Many lower limb amputees experience extensive and prolonged forces at their stump or socket interface whilst walking, which can lead to discomfort and pain. The socket represents one of the most critical components in lower limb prosthesis. Yet to date, objective assessment of socket fit is largely unknown due to the current unavailability of a multidirectional force sensor system which could be applied at the residuum/socket interface. In collaboration with Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons Ltd, University of Southampton researchers aimed to address this unmet need. What we did Our research team has developed a novel body interface sensor system which can be applied at the residuum/socket interface, and measure multidirectional pressure and shear in real time. Preliminary studies with lower limb amputees have been very successful. The research has generated new understanding in the interdisciplinary fields of medical, engineering and physics, and the sensor is also applicable to a wide range of biomedical application areas associated with the designs of insoles, mattresses, special seating, assistive rehabilitation robotics, and orthotics. This research project received funding from The Medical Research Council. Our impact This novel sensor system has the potential to provide objective assessment of socket fit and early detection of sores, helping prevent any pain and discomfort experienced by amputees using lower limb prosthesis. As well as generating new biomechanical understanding, our collaborative research has led to many prizes including Best Free Paper BLESMA Prize 2015, the Limbless Association Prize 2014, and Best Paper Prize for Advancing Technology at ISPO World Congress 2017. The interdisciplinary nature of the work has led to many journal papers, one of which, in Medical Engineering and Physics, won the prestigious 2015 Institute of Engineering and Technology William James Award. Further research is currently underway to translate this sensor innovation to clinically-applicable tools, effectively assisting amputee care and rehabilitation. The facilities we used We used the following facilities within the University - Engineering Material lab and Testing and Structures Research Laboratory Find out more about the Engineering and Environment Faculty's many world class facilities. Partners we worked with This research was an interdisciplinary collaboration between Engineering and Health Sciences within the University of Southampton. We also worked closely with an external partner in the form of UK company Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons Ltd (prosthetics and orthotics). Related Publications Tang, J., Mcgrath, M., Hale, N., Jiang, L., Bader, D., Laszczak, P., ... Zahedi, S. (2017). A combined kinematic and kinetic analysis at the residuum/socket interface of a knee-disarticulation amputee. Medical Engineering & Physics. DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2017.08.014 Mcgrath, M., Gao, J., Tang, J., Laszczak, P., Jiang, L., Bader, D., ... Zahedi, Z. (2017). Development of a residuum/socket interface simulator for lower limb prosthetics. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 231(3), 235-242 Laszczak, P., Mcgrath, M., Tang, J., Gao, J., Jiang, L., Bader, D., ... Zahedi, S. (2016). A pressure and shear sensor system for stress measurement at lower limb residuum/socket interface. Medical Engineering & Physics, 38(7), 695-700. DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2016.04.007 Tang, J., McGrath, M., Laszczak, P., Jiang, L., Bader, D. L., Moser, D., & Zahedi, S. (2015). Characterisation of dynamic couplings at lower limb residuum/socket interface using 3D motion capture. Medical Engineering & Physics, 37(12), 1162-1168. DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2015.10.004 Laszczak, P., Jiang, L., Bader, D. L., Moser, D., & Zahedi, S. (2015). Development and validation of a 3D-printed interfacial stress sensor for prosthetic applications. Medical Engineering & Physics, 37(1), 132-137. DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2014.10.002 Awards received for this research Winner of the Limbless Association Prize 2014 Winner of William James Prize 2015 Winner of British Limbless Ex-Serviceman’s Association (BLESMA) Prize 2015 Winner of the Best Paper Prize for Advancing Technology at ISPO World Congress 2017 Related media Watch a short video showing the sensor in action Related Staff Member Professor Liudi Jiang CEng, CPhys, FIETProfessor of Materials and Electromechanical Systems Professor Liudi Jiang is Professor of Materials and Electromechanical Systems within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton.Read more Related Staff Member Professor Dan L Bader BSc, MSc, PhD, DScProfessor of Bio-engineering and Tissue Health Professor Dan L Bader is Professor of Bio-engineering and Tissue Health within Health Sciences at the University of Southampton.Read more Links to external websites TRIPS sensor system BBC News - Pressure sensors to help prevent pain for amputees Watch a Forces TV video about this research Blatchford prosthetics The University cannot accept responsibility for external websites. Other University of Southampton sites Return to the Engineering Research index page. You might also be interested in Engineering Materials Research Group Discover more about our related research group, dedicated to developing understanding of materials that affect the performance of engineering systems. Other healthcare and medicine case studies Learn more about the research we are undertaking in these areas. Postgraduate Opportunities Explore our postgraduate research degrees. 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