Team 26

Soft Tissue Callus Initiator

Team Members:

Tabio-Lee W. Hawkins
Satya Muppavarapu
Christopher Sanders

Team Mentors:
Jeff Skiba - CEO at Desert Valley Technologies

Jessica Weaver - Arizona State University

YouTube Link:
View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom Link:
https://asu.zoom.us/j/3215051835

Abstract
The soft tissue Callus Initiator is a device that will create soft tissue callus on the pressure areas of the foot. It was observed that new recruits in the military begin at boot camp, where they are given footwear and training regimens that impose unaccustomed stress on the soft tissue of the foot. As a result, foot blisters are one of the most common causes of casualty in the Army; a casualty is defined as one soldier missing one day of duty. These blisters can get infected, resulting in further time lost. A device that may be worn before induction or during sleep cycles to generate more resistant calluses on the foot is required. Here we are designing a device that can form calluses on foot for military personnel before they go into training. We identified that we can use low intensity ultrasound (LIPUS) as a technique to form calluses on foot. LIPUS technique was used in bone lengthening process and was successful in forming calluses for the lengthening of bone or bone fracture repair. Calluses are mainly formed by accelerated keratinization and a reduced rate of desquamation. Figure out a way to use LIPUS to accelerate the process of keratinization. Our device needs to create calluses, be mass producible, mobile, durable, and function without a direct power connection. Due to the fact that our device will be sold in large quantities as per the second specification, each device should ideally cost under $100. As calluses naturally form due to repeated skin friction it is therefore reasonable to assume that by either deliberately introducing these pressures or triggering the process in the skin itself we can create calluses. If nothing else, it is possible to create a device that can replicate the causes of callus creation using mechanical forces to achieve our goals.