Customised Pressure Garment Development by Using 3D Scanned Body Image

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a method for designing customised pressure garments that can be more accurately applied to a burn wound area. The method includes the use of a 3D digital image of the wounded body part obtained by a body scanner and the development of a 3D pressure garment model and a 2D pattern. The scanned data contain detailed information that cannot be feasibly obtained by manual measurements, such as body curvature. The model parameters include the pressure to be exerted, pressure garment fabric properties and radius of curvature of the cross-sections of scanned body parts. By using a 3D pressure garment model, a 2D garment pattern is developed, and then, a pressure garment is constructed by using the pattern. The technique has been experimentally verified and customised pressure garments are made for a number of volunteer subjects. The customised pressure garments made for the subjects exert pressures close to the design pressure, but vary along the circumference of a given cross-section. The customised pressure garments constructed by using the developed method have shown a more accurate fit to uniformly exert the design pressure onto the whole of the wounded area.

Citation

Salleh, M.N.B., Acar, M. and Burns, N.D. (2011), "Customised Pressure Garment Development by Using 3D Scanned Body Image", Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 9-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-15-04-2011-B002