Measurement of pressure under leprotic feet using a barograph

This paper describes the measurement of pressure distribution under normal and leprotic feet using a barograph. The barograph consists of a glass plate illuminated at its edges by flourescent lights. The top surface of the glass plate is covered by a thin sheet of opaque white plastic upon which the subject stands. Greater pressure levels cause more intimate contact between the plastic and the glass, which results in the breakdown of total internal reflections within the glass. The resulting image recorded photographically is scanned for pressure intensity patterns using a microdensitomer. The quantitative values of pressures determined in this study for leprosy subjects during standing are helpful in identifying problem areas on the soles of the feet.