A portable automatic pressure delivery system for scar compression therapy in large animals

Compression therapy has long been a standard treatment for hypertrophic scar prevention. However, due to the lack of objective, quantitative assessments, and measurements of scar severity, as well as the lack of a self-operated, controllable, and precise pressure delivery technique, limited concrete evidence exists, demonstrating compression therapy's efficacy. We have designed and built an automatic pressure delivery system to apply and maintain constant pressure on scar tissue in an animal model. A force sensor positioned on a compression plate reads the imposed force in real-time and sends the information to a feedback system controlling two position actuators. The actuators move accordingly to maintain a preset value of pressure onto the skin. The system was used in an in vivo model of compression therapy on hypertrophic scars. It was shown that the system was capable of delivering a constant pressure of 30 mmHg on scar wounds for a period of two weeks, and that phenotypic changes were seen in the wounds. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.