Intelligent footwear for diabetic patients

Worldwide, an amputation is performed every 30 seconds on a person with diabetes as a result of misdiagnosed or poorly treated foot injuries. The vast majority of diabetic patients actually suffer from a complication called neuropathy, which causes loss of sensation in the limbs. As a result, they often do not feel a foot injury until it is too late.

EPFL researchers at the Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) in Neuchâtel, in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), have developed a prototype of intelligent footwear based on continuous measurements and permanent and automatic adaptations of the shoe insole’s rigidity. The sole is made of miniaturized shock absorbers. With a sensor, they can measure the foot pressure and detect when it becomes too great in a region on the sole, then automatically change shape to avoid the formation of ulcers.

This technological advance has a large potential for clinical applications. A similar system could be used inside mattresses to relieve patients suffering from bedsores.