Ingenious New Socks Could Save the Feet of Diabetics

Abigail Klein Leichman : Feb 15, 2016
Israel21c.org

"By giving patients and their families the tools they need to prevent the development of ulcers, we can dramatically reduce healthcare costs related to diabetes." -Prof. Yaakov Nahmias

(Israel)—Among the serious complications of diabetes for some 130 million individuals worldwide is diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage associated with foot ulcers resulting from anatomical deformation, excessive pressure and poor blood supply. This condition is the leading cause of amputation. (Photo: Courtesy Hebrew University of Jerusalem/via Israel21c.org)

Though regular checkups are helpful in monitoring pressure and ulceration, the ideal scenario would be to stop ulcers from developing in the first place.

Members of the BioDesign: Medical Innovation program, created by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its affiliated Hadassah Medical Center, recently introduced their answer to the problem: SenseGO, a machine-washable sock containing dozens of micro-fabricated pressure sensors.

When a person with diabetes wears SenseGO socks, changes in pressure due to incorrect posture, anatomical deformation or ill-fitting shoes are registered as electrical signals that are relayed to a smartphone app, which in turn informs the wearer of developing risk.

"This is a significant medical problem that affects the lives of millions. We thought there must be a way to avoid these wounds altogether," said Danny Bavli, the group’s lead engineer. (Photo: Courtesy Hebrew University of Jerusalem/via Israel21c.org)

Bavli partnered with Sagi Frishman and Dr. David Morgenstern, a leading orthopedic surgeon at Hadassah Medical Center, to develop SenseGO. MBA students Inbal Boxerman and Yael Hadar also worked with the team.

"This is a classic mobile health approach," said Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, BioDesign program director. "By giving patients and their families the tools they need to prevent the development of ulcers, we can dramatically reduce healthcare costs related to diabetes."

"Those costs are estimated at $10 billion in the United States alone. The cost in human suffering is incalculable."

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