Can Tekscan sensors be cut or trimmed?

Question: Can Tekscan sensors be cut or trimmed?

Answer: Yes, some of our sensors can be cut or trimmed to smaller sizes or shapes, or even punctured for secure placement. The model 4205 (pictured), model 7800 pressure sensor and T800 temperature sensor are designed to be sized for custom embedding in battery placements or other tight spots.

Tips for trimming:

The rows and columns are connected through silver dots and traces on the surface of the sensor. If you trim the sensor, a row or column will remain active so long as the silver dot and silver connecting trace remain intact and connected to the handle.

Based on this photo, you can trim up to 15 rows from the distal end of the sensor before you reach the column trace connections. And you can trim up to 5 columns from either side before you reach the silver connections to the rows.

Consult with a Tekscan engineer if you aren't sure if your sensor is trimmable or how to do it. Cutting through the sensing element will short the sensor! 

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The ability to trim for shoe size is one of the most important advantages of our in-shoe F-Scan™GO sensor, which can be trimmed to fit any shoe size up to a men’s size 14.

Tips for trimming the F-Scan GO sensor can be found in the manual, or HERE. 

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Do I need an Instron device to calibrate my ELF system?

Question: Do I need an Instron device to calibrate my ELF or WELF?

Answer: No! You can use dead weights and that will work fine. The video calibration tutorial uses one, but it's not necessary.

 

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Can I use the F-Scan64 system with pediatric patients?

It’s possible that an older child could fit into the smallest sensor size, which is a US Women’s 5.5 – 6.5, therefore allowing use with some pediatric patients. For those pediatric patients with smaller feet, we recommend the F-Scan system as the sensor can be trimmed down to the smallest size of Girls Size 2 (US).   

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What maintenance do I need to perform on the F-Scan64?

Sensors should always be disinfected with a 70% Isopropyl Alcohol solution after each use. To do this, slightly dampen a cloth with the alcohol solution, careful not to soak or saturate the cloth. Then wipe the sensor. 

Sensors should always be stored flat in either the system box or some other protective cover. Improper storage can adversely affect sensor life. 

Sensor Replacement/Disposal: Always dispose of sensors in accordance with Regional guidelines pertaining to medical biohazardous waste. 

A sensor can be reused either with different subjects after cleaning (requiring the same size sensor) or during a series of tests with the same subject. Sensor life is reduced if the sensor gets wrinkled or folded during use. 

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How is the F-Scan64 system different from the F-Scan System?

The main difference between the F-Scan64 and F-Scan systems lies in the micro-sized electronics.  The F-Scan64 electronics allows for a completely cord-free Bluetooth connection system with a quick setup time of three minutes or less. Also, users do not need to trim sensors.  The number “64” refers to the number of sensing elements in the sensor regardless of the sensor size.  

The F-Scan GO system offers trimmable sensors with up to 966 sensing elements (at full size) and can scan at rates up to 500 Hz. The F-Scan GO systems uses advanced gait analysis software for more detailed analysis.  

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What are the key differentiating factors of the F-Scan64 system versus the competition?

The F-Scan64 system offers comparable scanning rates to other similar in-shoe systems, but with thinner sensors, meaning there is less interference with natural gait.  Additionally, with 64 sensing points in all sensor sizes, it gives detailed insights in function and areas of high pressure that other systems with a lower resolution cannot offer.   

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Can I use F-Scan64 for jump tests?

Yes, the F-Scan64 system can be used for jumping. While higher scanning rates are often recommended to capture the complete movements during jumping, it will depend on what type of information you are looking to analyze.  The F-Scan64 system provides insights into bilateral asymmetries in jumping, which is helpful for sports performance analysis.   

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What happens if I go out of Bluetooth range during data collection?

The Bluetooth™ data transfer has a range of 10 m (30 ft.). If the F-Scan64 subject goes beyond the 10m Bluetooth range, there is a buffer of 16,000 frames (for example: @50Hz, recording buffer up to 5 minutes and 20 seconds) that will be stored on the cuffs. Once the subject is back in range, the user can select the “Transfer Recordings” button to re-connect the devices and transfer the collected recording to the PC.   

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What are the pre-sized F-Scan64 sensor sizes? Can I get custom sizes?

F-Scan64 sensors are available in six pre-sized sensors. Additional sensors are sold in a minimum order quantity of 10 (5 pairs) of any size combination. At this time, custom sizes are not available.

Tekscan Sensor #	EU Size	Men's US Size	Women's US Size
3020	36-37	-	5.5-6.5
3022	38-39	6-7	7-8.5
3024	40-41	7.5-8.5	9-9.5
3026	42-43	9-10	10-11
3028	44-45	10.5-11.5	11-12
3030	46-47	11.5-12.5	-

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How long will F-Scan64 sensors last?

Sensor usage is dependent upon application. Typically, you can expect up to up 20 uses, assuming 20-30 steps per trial in-shoe without orthotics. 

 

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