The Fit4Purpose project aims to develop upper limb prosthetic devices which are suitable for deployment in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC's). Open-frame trans-radial socket designs are being considered, formed of several, linked components, including pads which interface directly with the skin surface. A mechanical tool has been developed to aid the design of pad shapes, using an array of square brass bars of varying lengths (i.e. a pin-array) to apply a chosen normal pressure distribution to an area of tissue. The shape to which the tissue is displaced can then be captured by clamping the bars together to fix their relative positions. The device is described, then three short studies are used to demonstrate its use on the forearm of a single, anatomically intact subject. The first investigates the effect of array size on the measured surface stiffness, finding an inverse relationship with a similar characteristic to previous published results. The second tests the hypothesis that a pad with a shape which duplicates that captured by the device will generate a similar overall load to the original pins if applied to the same region of tissue. The results support the hypothesis, but also highlight the sensitivity of the interface loading to the underlying muscle activation. Finally, the tool is used to demonstrate that different tissue displacements are observed when the same pressure distribution is applied to different areas of the forearm. Whilst the tool itself is a simple device, and the techniques used are not sophisticated, the studies suggest that the approach could be useful in pad design. Although it is clearly not appropriate for clinical application in its current form, there may be potential to develop the concept into a more practical device. Other applications could include the design of other devices which interface with the skin, the generation of data for validation of finite element models, including the application of known pressure distributions and tissue deformations during Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and the assessment of matrix pressure sensing devices on compliant materials with complex geometries.

Fit4Purpose 项目旨在开发适合在中低收入国家 (LMIC) 部署的上肢假肢设备。正在考虑开放式框架跨径向插座设计，由多个链接组件形成，包括与皮肤表面直接接触的衬垫。已经开发出一种机械工具来帮助设计衬垫形状，使用不同长度的方形黄铜棒阵列（即针阵列）将选定的正常压力分布施加到组织区域。然后可以通过将杆夹在一起以固定它们的相对位置来捕捉组织移位的形状。描述了该装置，然后使用三项简短的研究来证明其在单个解剖结构完整的受试者的前臂上的使用。第一个研究阵列尺寸对测量的表面刚度的影响，发现与之前公布的结果具有相似特征的反比关系。第二个测试假设如果应用于相同的组织区域，形状与设备捕​​获的形状相同的垫将产生与原始针类似的总负载。结果支持了这一假设，但也强调了界面加载对潜在肌肉激活的敏感性。最后，该工具用于证明当相同的压力分布应用于前臂的不同区域时，观察到不同的组织位移。虽然该工具本身是一个简单的设备，而且所使用的技术并不复杂，但研究表明该方法在焊盘设计中可能有用。虽然它目前的形式显然不适合临床应用，但可能有潜力将这一概念发展成更实用的设备。其他应用可能包括与皮肤接口的其他设备的设计，生成用于验证有限元模型的数据，包括在磁共振成像期间应用已知的压力分布和组织变形，以及评估矩阵压力传感设备具有复杂几何形状的合规材料。