3-D Printed Smart Orthotic Insoles: Monitoring a Person's Gait Step by Step

Abstract

Gait monitoring using a 3D printed smart insole embedded with embedded optical fibre Bragg gratings is reported in this paper. The smart insole combines 3D printing technology and fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) sensors providing high sensitivity and end-point low cost. Results using pressure points measured by four FBGs are sufficient to differentiate foot loads and gait types.

3D printed FBG based sensor for vital signal monitoring – Influence of the infill printing parameters

“…This last technique allows the creation of sensors with low cost, simplicity, and high reproducibility [3]. FDM has been little explored to produce biosensors [4], and only one manuscript has been published using this technique to produce sensors for vital signs monitoring [3]. This work complements this first publication, testing two different positions of the FBG and three distinct fillings for the sensor's body to verify which one experiences the greatest sensitivity.…”

Fiber Bragg Gratings for Medical Applications and Future Challenges: A Review

“…Moreover, corks allowed the gratings thermal isolation. The most recent smart insole was proposed in [91]. The system was completely 3D-printed, and the FBGs were encapsulated into the insole during the printing process with promising during both standing position and walking cycles.…”

“…Both temperature and force sensing were carried out during the splint positions in [101], showing an increment of both these parameters with small variation in the force values due to the patient self-adjusting. The orthodontic forces applied by a bracket on the dental arch were measured by the custom solutions proposed in [91], and [92]. In [91], an FBG sensor written in a HiBi fiber was bonded on the orthodontic bracket between the orthoses and the incisor outer surface with good ability in detecting longitudinal and transversal forces applied on the teeth, in the range corresponding to clinical applications.…”

“…The orthodontic forces applied by a bracket on the dental arch were measured by the custom solutions proposed in [91], and [92]. In [91], an FBG sensor written in a HiBi fiber was bonded on the orthodontic bracket between the orthoses and the incisor outer surface with good ability in detecting longitudinal and transversal forces applied on the teeth, in the range corresponding to clinical applications. Lastly, the influence of grating positions on the strain distribution was investigated in [92], where seven FBGs were placed along three teeth roots and transversally along four teeth apex.…”

Low-Cost 3D Printer Drawn Optical Microfibers for Smartphone Colorimetric Detection

“…The 3D-printed element has been widely accepted and utilized in many sensory applications. For example, 3D-printed polymer packages have been embedded to protect long period fiber Bragg gratings (LPG) stress and temperature sensors [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] and tapered optical fiber for humidity and gas sensing [ 28 ]. Helical distributed feedback FBG and rocking filters have also been written in a fibers fabricated from a 3D printed glass preform [ 29 ].…”