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Session: Poster Session 1 (Even numbers)
Session starts: Thursday 26 January, 16:00
Presentation starts: 16:00

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Hanneke Reuvekamp (Laboratory for Surface Technology & Tribology, Department of Mechanics, Solids & Surfaces, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB, Enschede The Netherlands)
Dave Matthews (Laboratory for Surface Technology & Tribology, Department of Mechanics, Solids & Surfaces, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB, Enschede The Netherlands)
Edsko Hekman (Biomedical Device Design and Production lab, Department of Biomechanicschanics, Solids & Surfaces, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB, Enschede The Netherlands)
Emile van der Heide (Laboratory for Surface Technology & Tribology, Department of Mechanics, Solids & Surfaces, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB, Enschede The Netherlands)

Abstract:
Alongside the increasing amount of personal healthcare devices being used, also more medical-device related injuries (MDRI’s) are experienced at the interface. To be able to answer the research question of how these injuries can be prevented through intelligent product design, a systems approach showed that the predominant underlying cause is prolonged contact with an unfavourable microclimate, comprising the effects of humidity, temperature and airflow. In general, managing MDRI’s is hard from dermatology and engineering practice: It shows that up till now it is a process of trial-and-error and the focus is on reducing, rather than preventing. In the end, the use of these products, the time needed as well the treatment of other consequences such as pressure ulcer development or dermatitis are paired with significant costs. Surface engineering is well known to further modify and possibly enhance the functionality and performance of a product, including the thermo-mechanical interactions taking place at the skin-medical device interface. In order to be able to reduce the trial-and-error time and create personalised solutions for microclimate regulation through surface engineering, steps towards research and design must be taken. Engineers and healthcare professionals report that future work should focus on creating design maps supporting the engineering process in which microclimate regulation mechanisms are designed towards an optimised extent. This research will address the role of surface engineering in microclimate regulation of personal healthcare devices in prolonged contact with the skin by introducing a design map for the development of interfaces managing both the thermal and moisture component. This will be done with respect to the correlation of texture features, material properties, and product characteristics. The presentation will link knowledge from dermatological, biomechanical and engineering perspectives and current and future microclimate regulation strategies from a systems approach as a first step towards the proposed design map.