Washington State University

Barrie D Grant

John M Frame

Marc H Ratzlaff

Systems including piezoelectric sensor elements advantageously mounted between supporting hard plastic material of various types or other mechanically similar materials. The sensor can further be supported by backup plate structures. Some backup plates show full shoe coverage and others show partial sole coverage. Detachable mounting formed by mechanically interengaging parts allow transducer inserts to be made in a modular manner for use in different sensor shoes or sensor insole pads, thus allowing many more patients to be analyzed and treated through use of the invention. Also disclosed is a digital charge signal integrator circuit.

Systems for measurement and analysis of forces exerted during human

Hoof force detection apparatus having shoe portions adapted for connecting to the hooves of hoofed animals. The apparatus also includes piezoelectric elements mounted on sensor mounting sections which are connected to the shoe portions using flexion joints. The flexion joints allow forces applied to the animal's hooves through the shoe to be accommodated without applying undesirable bending moments and shear forces which would render output signals from the piezoelectric elements unreliable. Preferred forms of shoe-transducer structures include a plurality of spokes extending from shoe portions to centrally positioned sensor mounting sections. Other forms have sensors mounted in the shoe portions. The piezoelectric sensor structures preferably include a ceramic piezoelectric element protected by a cap having a flange. The protective cap and piezoelectric element are held in place by a mounting ring in some preferred embodiments. Backup plates can be used to properly support the sensor structures. Also disclosed is a signal amplication and integration circuit for analyzing the output signals produced by the piezoelectric elements and similar sensor types. The circuits include current-to-voltage conversion, voltage-to-frequency conversion and digital counting.

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Pullman, WA, United States of America

Barrie D Grant