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Abacus v1.3 - The Limb Volume Calculator

Abacus has been written specifically for MLD therapists and others treating lymphoedema who need to calculate limb volumes in order to monitor the progress of treatment.

Graphic from Abacus

Developed in conjunction with MLD therapist Lynda Carter, Abacus uses the established method of summation of segmental limb volumes, as estimated by circumference measurements. Abacus gives you a choice between using the traditional Cylinder model for calculating limb volumes, or the more accurate Truncated Cone model. Calculation of limb volume by circumferential measurement and calculation using the Truncated Cone model correlates well with measurement of limb volume by water displacement.

Abacus v1.3 offers:

  • choice of limb volume calculation formulae
  • support for bilateral lymphoedema treatment
  • comparison of proximal and distal limb volumes
  • comparison of right and left limbs
  • easy report generation that includes a graphical display of progress
  • calculation of D/P ratio
  • BMI calculation, with conversion from Imperial to SI units if necessary

Written for PC's running Windows XP, Vista or 7, the program maintains a small encrypted database of patient details, that records the limb measurements taken on successive clinic visits, and displays and stores the calculated limb volumes in a pleasing interface. Reports of patient progress can be generated for printing, and can be saved in a variety of formats. Currently supported formats include plain text (*.txt), Rich Text File (*.rtf), and Adobe PDF (*.pdf). For further detail of how Abacus calculates limb volume from your measurements, please download the current Abacus Help file.

For pricing and purchase, detailed previews and screenshots, and a tutorial that shows how to use the program's basic functions, please follow the links or use the main navigation.

"Abacus is simple to use, handles bilateral oedema and has a useful graphical display. It calculates the volume of loss over time in millilitres. It is excellent both for NHS records and for CCG funding support" - Nicole de Havilland, Lymphoedema Therapist.

Abacus v1.3 is marketed as time limited shareware (try-before-you-buy software). The evaluation version allows 30 days of use, after which it requires purchase of a licence. Purchase of a licence removes all limitations on the program and entitles you to free upgrades for all Abacus 1.x versions. Before installing Abacus you are advised to update Windows XP to at least Service Pack 2, although the installer will update Jet Database Engine components to Jet 4.0 Service Pack 8 as necessary. The trial version can be downloaded here.


News

Abacus v2.0

The next generation of Abacus is currently in development, and is expected to be available in 2015. Previous versions used the now deprecated MS Jet database engine, which had a number of limitations and prevented cross-platform development. Abacus v2.0 will be available for Windows operating systems (Win 8, Win7, Vista and XP) and also for Apple OSX. Abacus v2.0 will come in a number of different configurations to offer better support for larger clinics, as well as the single-handed practitioner.

After the launch of Abacus v2.0, older versions of Abacus will no longer be supported by upgrades. In anticipation of the development and in an attempt to limit the need to convert existing databases to the new format, we are not currently offering the existing version for sale. If you need the software urgently, then please contact us to discuss your requirements and we will find you a solution if possible. Existing customers will be offered substantial discounts on the price of the new version, and full support in transferring their databases to the new format. We shall of course continue to provide general help and advice for all versions as at present.