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. 2015 Jan;86(1):015101.
doi: 10.1063/1.4904842.

A portable automatic pressure delivery system for scar compression therapy in large animals

Pejhman Ghassemi  1 , Jeffrey W Shupp  2 , Taryn E Travis  3 , Andrew J Gravunder  4 , Lauren T Moffatt  3 , Jessica C Ramella-Roman  4
Affiliations

A portable automatic pressure delivery system for scar compression therapy in large animals

Pejhman Ghassemi et al. Rev Sci Instrum. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Compression therapy has long been a standard treatment for hypertrophic scar prevention. However, due to the lack of objective, quantitative assessments, and measurements of scar severity, as well as the lack of a self-operated, controllable, and precise pressure delivery technique, limited concrete evidence exists, demonstrating compression therapy's efficacy. We have designed and built an automatic pressure delivery system to apply and maintain constant pressure on scar tissue in an animal model. A force sensor positioned on a compression plate reads the imposed force in real-time and sends the information to a feedback system controlling two position actuators. The actuators move accordingly to maintain a preset value of pressure onto the skin. The system was used in an in vivo model of compression therapy on hypertrophic scars. It was shown that the system was capable of delivering a constant pressure of 30 mmHg on scar wounds for a period of two weeks, and that phenotypic changes were seen in the wounds.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
APDS design.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
APDS final prototype.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Side view of APDS-base frame positioning.
FIG. 4.
FIG. 4.
Circuit diagram schematic of APDS.
FIG. 5.
FIG. 5.
Wireless communication diagram.
FIG. 6.
FIG. 6.
Experimental setup for force sensitive resistor calibration.
FIG. 7.
FIG. 7.
Experimental setup for APDS performance test.
FIG. 8.
FIG. 8.
FSR characteristic plot, left frame: FSR #1 and right frame: FSR #2, symbols show the average voltage reading over 15 min. Curves show the best polynomial fit.
FIG. 9.
FIG. 9.
Sample results of the test conducted to demonstrate the ability of the APDS#1 to maintain a pre-set level of pressure (30 mmHg). Top frame: applied pressure on the pressure pad; bottom frame: position of the actuator shafts to adjust the pressure around the set point.
FIG. 10.
FIG. 10.
Side view drawing of APDS and its positioning on the skin.
FIG. 11.
FIG. 11.
Animal and APDS preparation on day 70 after wounding; APDS (a), sham box (b), protective vest and turtle shell (c), and outer garment and battery pocket (d).
FIG. 12.
FIG. 12.
Sample data stream recorded from two pressure delivery systems implemented on two animals; APDS #1 (left frame) and APDS #2 (right frame). Top row shows the applied pressure on HTS versus time, and the bottom row shows the corresponding position of the actuators. The pre-set value of the pressure is 30 mmHg for this experiment.
FIG. 13.
FIG. 13.
Result of two weeks pressure delivery on scars versus time; symbols show the average daily pressure value, and error bars indicate the standard deviation of the data.
FIG. 14.
FIG. 14.
Representative photographs of the gross effects of compression therapy; left frame: pressure-treated scar, right frame: sham scar without compression therapy.
FIG. 15.
FIG. 15.
Representative histological images showing dermal thickness; left frame: pressure-treated scar, right frame: sham scar. Arrows highlight dermal thicknesses. Scale bars are 500 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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