Investigação e desenvolvimento do uso da FIR aplicado em próteses

: desenvolvimento de uma interface

Abstract

This report presents the work that was developed during the four months of internship at Padrão Ortopédico. The primordial goal of this internship focused on incorporating FIR (Far Infrared Radiation), into a prosthetic, due that it would be possible to relieve some of the symptoms that amputees experience on a daily basis. The motivation for the development of this innovation came from the fact that although there are some treatments for the problems experienced by amputees on a daily basis, such as preventive and pharmacological therapies, they are described as unsatisfactory. The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that amputation is one of the main causes of disability in the world. There are several factors that can lead to an amputation, namely traumatic injuries, vascular diseases, severe infections, congenital malformations and poor circulation. Considering epidemiological data on amputations performed in Portugal between 2000 and 2015, on 17th of October 2015, there were around 350.000 amputees in Portugal. According to a clinical study conducted in 2021, approximately 80% of people suffer from Phantom Pain after amputation and approximately 50% experience Residual Limb Pain (RLP). Currently, it is believed that FIR may be related to the improvement of some problems, being able to relieve Phantom Pain, reduce inflammation and stimulate blood circulation, accelerating the recovery of damaged tissues. Thereby, were developed interfaces with the ability to emit FIR, which were assessed by a transtibial amputee for a week. In conclusion, the interfaces proved to be effective in mitigating and solving the adversities experienced on a daily basis, being evaluated very positively by their user.

Date of Award	28 Jul 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joana Alexandra Cambé Ferreira (Supervisor) & Rui Manuel Vieira Freitas Ribeiro (Co-Supervisor)