The medical industry turns to Interface for force measurement solutions for medical device and healthcare product design, development, and testing. This is especially true for rehabilitation equipment used in clinics, hospitals, nursing and home health care facilities, and sports treatment centers.
Rehabilitation encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions, aiming to restore function and improve the quality of life for individuals facing physical or cognitive impairments. Interface load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, and instrumentation provide highly accurate data that optimize or validate rehabilitation equipment for patient use.
Significant growth is occurring in the design, testing, and building of rehabilitation equipment, fueled by an aging population, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in rehabilitation devices. Interface provides various sensor options for research, development, manufacturing, and performance monitoring, from miniature load cells to advanced multi-axis sensors.
The demand for home-based rehabilitation devices is also increasing rapidly. This trend is driven by patient preference, cost-effectiveness, and advancements in telehealth technologies. Many of these devices rely heavily on sensors to monitor patient progress, provide feedback, and ensure safety, which aligns well with Interface’s expertise in sensor solutions.
In rehabilitation, Interface’s load cells are embedded within exercise equipment and wearable devices to measure the force exerted by a patient during therapy. Therapists can use the Interface wireless instrumentation to monitor and record patient progress. They can track improvements in muscle strength and movement patterns across different exercises and activities while measuring performance using sensor technologies.
Rehabilitation Equipment and Device Use Cases for Interface Solutions
- Prosthetics and Orthotics Research
- Prosthetic Design and Fit Analysis
- Gait Analysis
- Rehabilitation Robotics
- Exoskeleton Feedback
- Robotic Arms and Hands
- Physical Therapy Equipment Design
- Instrumented Treadmills
- Muscle Strengthening Equipment Tests
- Balance Platforms
- Assistive Device Design and Testing
- Wheelchairs
- Rehabilitation Wearable Device Monitoring
- Research and Development
Interface sensor technologies are used in equipment to treat various conditions ranging from neurological events like stroke and traumatic brain injury, where patients require assistance regaining motor skills, balance, and coordination, to musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures and sprains, where the focus is on restoring strength, mobility, and range of motion.
Application: Treadmill Rehabilitation
Interface-designed force sensors are used in rehabilitation treadmills for patients with pelvic mobility difficulties. For example, patients who have had strokes tend to have trouble walking. The goal is to measure the forces applied on the pelvis when the patient walks on the treadmill and catch any pelvic deviations. The treadmill had a special harness with two actuators on either side of the patient. Interface suggests installing two WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cells on the actuators to measure the forces applied to the patient’s pelvis. The SI-USB4 4-Channel USB Interface Module graphs and logs the results using supplied VS3 software. Using this solution, the rehabilitation equipment maker has a solution to catch different pelvic deviations in their experimental rehabilitation treadmill using Interface’s products.
By integrating advanced sensor technologies like those offered by Interface, you can create devices that are more effective, safer, and more personalized. Force measurement solutions, for example, can provide valuable data for gait analysis, prosthetic fitting, and robotic exoskeleton control, enabling precise monitoring and optimization of treatment. Similarly, torque sensors can enhance the functionality of isokinetic dynamometers and rehabilitation robots, facilitating accurate measurement of strength, endurance, and range of motion. By embracing these technologies, manufacturers can differentiate their products, improve patient outcomes, and drive innovation in the rapidly evolving field of rehabilitation.
Interventional Guidewire Quality Inspection
Medical Bag Weighing Patient Hoyer Lift 
Prosthetic Foot Performance
Prosthetics Load and Fatigue Testing Radiosurgery Robot
Robotic Surgery Force Feedback Specimen Research
Stent and Catheter Testing
Surgical Stapler Force Verification Syringe Needle Twist Force Syringe Plunger Force Measurement Tablet Forming Machine Optimization Tablet Hardness Testing Tablet Machine Hardness Calibration Treadmill Rehabilitation
Vascular Clamp Force
Year in Review of Top Interface Solutions and Applications
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface is at the forefront of innovative use cases and applications, providing quality devices worldwide to gather precision measurements. Interface unveils the top industry solutions, product use cases and applications that define force measurement in 2023.
Small in Dimension and Precise in Measurement
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface Mini Load Cells are used for small and precise measurements. Interface miniature load cells are ideal for light touch, weight, or limited space test and measurement applications. with capacities available as low as 0.11 lbf / 0.5 N and as high as 100 kN, there are many miniature load cells available in different capacities and models, including our beams, rod-end, load buttons, s-type load cells, and custom miniature OEM solutions.
Interface Load Cells for Press Machines
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface load cells are used in various press machines, from hydraulic presses to stamping machines. Machine builders and engineers use interface load cells to improve product quality, reduce scrap, prevent overloading, and increase safety during operation. Whether selecting a miniature load button load cell for a small press test or our WMC Load Cell to integrate into the machine, Interface has a range of products for press machine applications to ensure quality and accuracy of measurement.
Wireless Telemetry Systems 101
/in 101 Series, Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface offers a wide range of wireless telemetry products including load cells, transmitters, bases, communication modules and data acquisition systems. A wireless telemetry system enables the remote measurement and transmission of data from one location to another without the need for physical wired connections. Components in wireless telemetry systems typically include sensors, transducers, instrumentation, communication modules, transmitters, displays and printers. Learn more about Interface WTS products in our Wireless Telemetry Systems 101 overview.
Interface Solutions Aid Pharmaceutical Industry
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface has a long history of providing precision measurement solutions for pharmaceutical R&D, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, packaging and monitoring use. The science used in the pharmaceutical industry depends on quality measurement of force and weight. Interface load cells are designed for these types of precise requirements. Learn more about our pharma applications and products.
Why Product Design Houses Choose Interface
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface collaborates with product design houses in identifying the right sensors and systems to use during different stages of the product design lifecycle. Whether it is for accurately measuring forces for impact and fatigue testing in prototyping, or identifying precise weights for packaging, Interfaced load cells and instrumentation are valuable tools for product design engineers. Interface products are chosen by design houses based on their range of capabilities, accuracy, versatility and quality.
Center of Gravity Testing in Robotics Demands Precision Load Cells
/in Blog, Industrial Automation /by Jamie GlassInterface specializes in precision force measurement solutions. There are different methods for determining the CoG of a robotic system. One common method is to use strain gage load cells. Not all load cells are designed for precision measurement. Center of gravity testing demands strict measurement. For example, Interface compression load cells are often used in center of gravity testing for robotics because they are very accurate and can measure remarkably small forces.
Are Load Cells Used in Vacuum Environments?
/in Blog /by Jamie GlassInterface provides load cells thare can be used in a vacuum environment. However, not all load cells are created equal or suited for this specialized use case. Vacuum testing labs are used by a variety of industries, including aerospace, medical, and defense. These labs are common for material process testing and used in R&D. Vacuum testing helps to identify potential problems with products and materials before they are used in a vacuum environment. Using quality load cells that are manufactured by force measurement experts in sensor technologies and experienced in working with vacuum testing labs and experts is an important consideration.
Types of Robots Using Interface Sensors
/in Blog, Industrial Automation /by Jamie GlassInterface load cells and torque transducers are commonly used in the design and testing of robots to measure and monitor forces and loads experienced by various robot components. Load cells are used to measure the forces exerted by robotic arms and grippers, while torque transducers are used to measure the torque generated by motors. Multi-axis load cells are growing in use with robotic engineers throughout the R&D phases for more measurement data to make smarter decisions in design and use of the robot.
Miniature Torque Transducers 101
/in 101 Series, Blog /by Jamie GlassThe demands for miniature force and torque measurement solutions are on the rise. Modernization of products along with complex, compact products requires small and robust test and measurement solutions. Miniature torque transducers are small sensors that measure torque, or rotational […]