Experimental determination of the transmission behavior of a pressure sensor array for torsobarography in posture analysis

Abstract: In torsobarography, the dorsal pressure profile of a patient in supine position is recorded using a capacitive pressure sensor array with pliable underlying pad to extract parameters for posture analysis from this data. To assess the pressure mapping quality, this work introduces an initial approach to characterize the transmission behavior of the sensor array with underlying pad. Quality criteria and indices evaluating linearity, shift invariance, edge resolution, and ability to map height differences and convex or concave structures were developed. Experiments with test specimens were conducted to determine the transmission behavior dependent on compressive strength and thickness of the pad.