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  Innovative Technology Clinical Application Education

  We enhance prosthetics for people with limb loss through ground breaking research. Our philosophy is to be at the cutting edge of the interface between technology and clinical care. Though an academic research lab, we have a corporate culture of advancing quickly in our research and being highly productive in terms of immediately benefiting clinical care. Our research is centered around the improvement of care for transtibial amputees and designed to be immediately relevant to clinical practice. Our strong partnerships with prosthetists across the country ensures that we remain focused on the most pressing issues facing amputees. As a research lab within the University of Washington, education is at the core of what we do. The students and research engineers in our lab have diverse backgrounds, allowing students to gain a set of broadly applicable skills, while obtaining expertise in our core areas of research.

• Current Research

  Adjustable Sockets Sock Thickness and Use Diagnostic Tool Field Monitoring Optimizing Liner Selection Tissue Health

  One of the biggest issues impacting limb health in transtibial amputees is the variability of fluid volume in their residual limb thoughout the course of the day. We are developing a socket whose volume can be adjusted, via a smartphone app, to ensure a proper fit. Prosethesis users frequently use socks, measured in "ply", to adjust the fit of their socket. Unfortunately, ply is not a well defined and so users cannot be sure how much they are adjusting their sockets. The problem is exacerbated when the sock is stretched over their limb. The CSG is means to measure the thickness of these socks while the user is wearing them. Bioimpedance has long been used to measure overall body composition. We are applying this technology to measure the fluid volume of amputees' residual limbs before and after their prosthetist does a modification on their socket. The goal is to help clinicians produce better outcomes and more quickly home in on the most beneficial modification. Determining the utility of new prosthetic practices and devices is a critical testing component. Initial tests conducted in a lab setting are useful, but they do not replace data collected from patients as they go about their daily routines. This work is intended to design tools to quantify changes in prosthetic fit and usage. Prosthetic liners are made out of a variety of polymers and even within liners from the same class of polymer there is substantial variation in material properties. Unfortunately, there has been no systematic survey done of these materials and clinicians have had to rely on anecdotal evidence for liner selection. We are creating a database of liner properties so that clinicians will have better information upon which to recommend liners to their patients. Prosthesis users can suffer skin damage from socket overuse or poorly fitting sockets. Skin can also adapt to become more resistant to mechanically-induced damage. Our goal in this research is to better understand the processes of skin breakdown and adaptation and to create tools to help clinicians better evaluate tissue health.

• Previous Research

  Advancing Computer Manufactured Sockets Residual Limb Volume Fluctuation and Accommodation Sock Thickness & Sock Use

  Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Interface Pressure and Shear Stress Measurement

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Next Steps...

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in one of our studies, please use this form or call us at (206) 616-9148.

Study Requirements

Typical requirements for study participants are listed below. Specific studies may have requirements in addition to those listed. You can learn more about active studies on the Current Research page.

• Subjects must be at least 18 years of age.
• Subjects must have at least one lower limb amputation below the knee.
• Subjects should be able to walk and stand continuously for at least 90 seconds.

 

Participant Safety

All of our testing is carried out under the oversight of a licensed prosthetist. And all of our equipment is thoroughly tested for safety before it is used with participants. Subjects may stop the study at any time, if they so desire.

 

Privacy

The data obtained is kept completely private, in accordance with United States law, and is evaluated by the research team. Subjects may receive a copy of the publication in which their data are used. Of course, subject names are not in publications and the data is de-identified.