MSGID: 1:317/3 64129b78   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    3D-printed insoles measure sole pressure directly in the shoe    
      
     Date:   
         March 15, 2023   
     Source:   
         ETH Zurich   
     Summary:   
         Researchers are developing a 3D-printed insole with integrated   
         sensors that allows the pressure of the sole to be measured in the   
         shoe and thus during any activity. This helps athletes or patients   
         to determine performance and therapy progress.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL are developing a   
   3D-​printed insole with integrated sensors that allows the pressure   
   of the sole to be measured in the shoe and thus during any activity. This   
   helps athletes or patients to determine performance and therapy progress.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   In elite sports, fractions of a second sometimes make the difference   
   between victory and defeat. To optimize their performance, athletes use   
   custom- ​made insoles. But people with musculoskeletal pain also   
   turn to insoles to combat their discomfort.   
      
   Before specialists can accurately fit such insoles, they must first create   
   a pressure profile of the feet. To this end, athletes or patients have   
   to walk barefoot over pressure-​sensitive mats, where they leave   
   their individual footprints. Based on this pressure profile, orthopaedists   
   then create customised insoles by hand. The problem with this approach   
   is that optimisations and adjustments take time. Another disadvantage   
   is that the pressure-​sensitive mats allow measurements only in   
   a confined space, but not during workouts or outdoor activities.   
      
   Now an invention by a research team from ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL could   
   greatly improve things. The researchers used 3D printing to produce a   
   customised insole with integrated pressure sensors that can measure the   
   pressure on the sole of the foot directly in the shoe during various   
   activities.   
      
   "You can tell from the pressure patterns detected whether someone is   
   walking, running, climbing stairs, or even carrying a heavy load on   
   their back -- in which case the pressure shifts more to the heel,"   
   explains co-​project leader Gilberto Siqueira, Senior Assistant   
   at Empa and at ETH Complex Materials Laboratory. This makes tedious mat   
   tests a thing of the past.   
      
   One device, multiple inks These insoles aren't just easy to use, they're   
   also easy to make. They are produced in just one step -- including the   
   integrated sensors and conductors - - using a single 3D printer, called   
   an extruder.   
      
   For printing, the researchers use various inks developed specifically for   
   this application. As the basis for the insole, the materials scientists   
   use a mixture of silicone and cellulose nanoparticles.   
      
   Next, they print the conductors on this first layer using a conductive   
   ink containing silver. They then print the sensors on the conductors   
   in individual places using ink that contains carbon black. The sensors   
   aren't distributed at random: they are placed exactly where the foot   
   sole pressure is greatest. To protect the sensors and conductors, the   
   researchers coat them with another layer of silicone.   
      
   An initial difficulty was to achieve good adhesion between the different   
   material layers. The researchers resolved this by treating the surface   
   of the silicone layers with hot plasma.   
      
   As sensors for measuring normal and shear forces, they use piezo   
   components, which convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals. In   
   addition, the researchers have built an interface into the sole for   
   reading out the generated data.   
      
   Running data soon to be read out wirelessly Tests showed the researchers   
   that the additively manufactured insole works well. "So with data   
   analysis, we can actually identify different activities based on which   
   sensors responded and how strong that response was," Siqueira says.   
      
   At the moment, Siqueira and his colleagues still need a cable connection   
   to read out the data; to this end, they have installed a contact on   
   the side of the insole. One of the next development steps, he says,   
   will be to create a wireless connection. "However, reading out the   
   data hasn't been the main focus of our work so far."  In the future,   
   3D-​printed insoles with integrated sensors could be used by   
   athletes or in physiotherapy, for example to measure training or therapy   
   progress. Based on such measurement data, training plans can then be   
   adjusted and permanent shoe insoles with different hard and soft zones   
   can be produced using 3D printing.   
      
   Although Siqueira believes there is strong market potential for their   
   product, especially in elite sports, his team hasn't yet taken any steps   
   towards commercialisation.   
      
   Researchers from Empa, ETH Zurich and EPFL were involved in the   
   development of the insole. EPFL researcher Danick Briand coordinated   
   the project, and his group supplied the sensors, while the ETH and   
   Empa researchers developed the inks and the printing platform. Also   
   involved in the project were the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)   
   and orthopaedics company Numo.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Foot_Health # Hypertension #   
                   Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis # Heart_Disease #   
                   Wounds_and_Healing # Today's_Healthcare # Sports_Medicine   
                   # Fitness   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Therapy_dog o Nuclear_medicine o Plantar_wart o Massage o   
             Occupational_therapy o Fingerprint o Glaucoma o Sports_medicine   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by ETH_Zurich. Original written by   
   Peter Ru"egg. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Related Multimedia:   
       *   
       The_insoles,_together_with_the_integrated_sensors_and_conductive_tracks,   
         are_produced_in_just_one_step_on_a_3D_printer.   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Marco R. Binelli, Ryan van Dommelen, Yannick Nagel, Jaemin Kim,   
      Rubaiyet   
         I. Haque, Fergal B. Coulter, Gilberto Siqueira, Andre' R. Studart,   
         Danick Briand. Digital manufacturing of personalised footwear   
         with embedded sensors. Scientific Reports, 2023; 13 (1) DOI:   
         10.1038/s41598-023-29261-0   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230315132502.htm   
      
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