New measuring device for estimating the pressure under compression garments

Purpose - This paper aims to describe new measuring device designed for measuring the pressure exerted by textile products used in healing therapy of hypertrophic scars. The testing device called Textilpress has been used for verification of the usually used method of designing and manufacturing ready-made compression garment products. Design/methodology/approach - The pressure measurement, realized by use of the Textilpress device, is an indirect measuring method, which is based on the Laplace Law. The investigations described in this paper concern the pressure measuring under textile bands placed on the models representing selected parts of the human body with pre-set circumferences. For this purpose, rigid cylinders were prepared, covered by a layer of neoprene which simulated the susceptibility of human skin. Findings - The investigations described in this paper indicate that the Textilpress test-device may be used for pressure measuring exerted by compression bands on the cylinder surface. In order to estimate the pressure exerted on a particular body part with the shape close to a cylinder, a measurement should be carried out on a cylinder with a circumference similar to that of the selected part of the human body. Research limitations/implications - The Textilpress test-device may be used by the manufacturers for measuring pressures exerted by compression bands (manufactured from knitted fabrics) on the cylinder surface of a pre-set diameter. In order to estimate the pressure exerted on a particular body part with the shape close to a cylinder, a measurement should be carried out on a cylinder with a circumference similar to that of the selected part of the human body. Originality/value - As hospitals do not possess appropriate measuring devices, which would enable one to measure the pressure on the scar exerted by the textile garment, the pressure efficiency and the appropriate fittings are estimated subjectively for the particular case. The Textilpress device enables monitoring such pressure.