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How Smart Insoles Improve Dynamic Balance in Individuals With DPN
How Smart Insoles Improve Dynamic Balance in Individuals With DPN
The vibration chip is installed at the back of the midsole and a specialized motor (similar to one used in mobile phone coin vibrators) generates this vibration.a vibration chip is installed at the back of the midsole The frequency of the vibration is adjustable via an app and the intensity can also be controlled. The motor is powered by a rechargeable battery.
Vibrating insoles can induce acute beneficial effects on gait quality and standing/postural balance in individuals with DPN (14-17).a vibration chip is installed at the back of the midsole However, the effect of vibration type and frequency on dynamic balance remains largely unexplored as it is the primary locomotor task that challenges individuals with DPN in daily life activities such as level walking or stair negotiation.
Previous studies using this technology have shown that mechanical vibration applied through smart insoles improves vibrotactile foot sensation in individuals with DPN (17-18). This is a result of the improvement in the ability of cutaneous mechanoreceptors to perceive vibration, which was found to be dependent on the duration and intensity of vibration (14-18).
In order to understand how this technology works, it is important to examine the energy exchange processes involved during the application of a vibration stimulus to a human foot. The first step of this process is mechanical-to-mechanical transfer, where the kinetic energy from the movement of the foot is transmitted through the insoles and into the piezoelectric material of PFEHs (see figure 11a). In this study, the piezoelectric energy was partially transferred as elastic strain energy to the shoes and frames, recovered back into the shoe and dissipated as thermal energy inside the shoe (step II).
In this current study, seven different conditions were tested varying in vibration frequency (0-240 Hz), single site versus whole-foot stimulation, binary or linear activation and addition or not of white noise to the actuators. In the linear and binary activation settings, the vibration was delivered through a pressure sensor that activated the motors under the heel and forefoot based on the individual's weight. White noise was generated by the actuators based on the individual's perception threshold, established as part of calibration prior to testing.
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