Estimation of Subcutaneous Tissue State of Lymphedema Using Pressure Sensor

Lymphedema patients requires long-term treatment. There is no simple way to measure the condition of lymphedema at home. The subcutaneous tissues of lymphedema patients tend to harden the tissue because the amount of water increases as lymph fluid accumulates. The hardness of the subcutaneous tissue includes the information of water content on the lymphedema area. In this study, we developed a device to estimate the water content on the lymphedema area. The measured device consists of an air pack and pressure sensors. When external pressure was applied by the air pack, the reaction force received by the pressure sensor from the area of lymphedema patient was measured. The regression equation was made to estimate the water content from the measured reaction force values. As the results, we could confirm the tight relationship between water content between pressure value.