After patients undergo foot surgery at the University of Florida Health, they're given a Bluetooth device to wear their body or in their shoes. If people put too much weight on their recovering feet, the sensor immediately alerts patients and their physicians.
Foot and ankle surgeon R. James Toussaint, MD, and UF engineering professor Swarup Bhunia, PhD, invented the patented device. The sensor could "revolutionize patient safety" in orthopedics, according to a June 25 news release from the Gainesville-based system.
"I've been thinking about this sensor for several years," Dr. Toussaint, the system's division chief in foot and ankle surgery, said in the release. "One of the biggest issues I see is that patients, despite their best efforts, have difficulty complying with weight-bearing restrictions."
The sensor tracks pressure, temperature, moisture and forces applied in different directions.
For patients with neuropathy, or nerve damage that makes it difficult to feel pressure, the device can help alert them. Other potential users include patients unable to care for themselves and children, UF Health said.
Outside of foot surgery patients, the devices could also help prevent pressure injuries, Dr. Toussaint said.