Compact & portable digitally controlled device for testing footwear materials:Te

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J Rehabil Res Dev. 2008;45(6):893-900.

Compact and portable digitally controlled device for testing footwear

materials: Technical note.

Foto JG.

National Hansen's Disease Programs, W. Brand Biomechanics

Laboratory, 1770 Physicians Park Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70816.

Little or no practical decision-making data are available to the foot-

care provider regarding the selection of orthotic materials used in

therapeutic footwear. A device for simulating in-shoe forefoot

conditions for the testing of orthosis materials is described.

Materials are tested for their effectiveness by evaluating and

comparing stress-strain and dynamic compression fatigue

characteristics.

The device, called the Cyclical Compression Tester (CCT), has been

optimized for size, simplicity of construction, and cost. Application

of the device ranges from the clinician deciding the useful life of

single- and multidensity orthosis materials to the researcher

characterizing materials for finite-element analysis modeling.

This real-time CCT device and custom user interface combine to make

an evaluation tool useful for testing how the pressure distribution

of in-shoe materials changes over time in therapeutic footwear for

those with peripheral neuropathy at risk for foot injury.