Design and Manufacturing Podographometer Device and Scientific Principles Used in It

Background: Foot’s morphological structure has an important role in load transition to the joints and body’s organs. There are several footprint based indexes evaluating the foot’s situation. The features recommended for a new device for foot assessment include reliability, simplicity in use, quantitative output, simplicity in measuring, low cost and being non-invasive.

Materials and Methods: In design and manufacturing of the device’s hardware, in addition to the visual parameters, its capability in bearing repeating forces up to 120 (kg), providing a natural standing situation for the patient and a strong light source to be able to scan even in the day light was considered. Also special application and computational requirements, like high speed data analysis, user friend software, automated data gathering etc. were considered in software design.

Results: This device is capable of evaluating the main footprint based indexes including Arch Index (AI), Staheli Index (SI), Chippaux-Smirak (CSI), Footprint Angle (FPA) and Flatfoot Index (FFI) and documents the results.

Conclusion: Podographometer has important advantages over similar foreign devices such as intelligent separation of contact parts of with ground from other parts of foot, selection of suitable index from extensive spectrum of indexes by user and diagnosing by using radiographic images.