News • Diabetic feet prevention
Smart insole detects signs of foot ulcer
Stevens Institute of Technology has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Bonbouton, giving the company the right to use and further develop a graphene sensing system that detects early signs of foot ulcers before they form, so diabetic patients can access preventative healthcare and manage their health.
Complications from diabetes can make it difficult for patients to monitor their foot health. Chronically high levels of blood glucose can impair blood vessels and cause nerve damage. Patients can experience a lot of pain, or worse, can lose the feeling in their feet. Diabetes-related damage to blood vessels and nerves can lead to hard-to-treat infections such as ulcers. Ulcers that don’t heal can cause severe damage to tissues and bone and may require amputation of a toe, foot or part of a leg. advised.
Insole fits with Sneaker or dress shoes
Bonbouton’s smart insoles can be inserted into a sneaker or dress shoe to passively monitor the foot health of a person living with diabetes. The insoles sense the skin’s temperature, pressure and other foot health-related data, which can alert a patient and his or her healthcare provider healthcare provider, who can determine whether a treatment is needed. This simplifies patient self-monitoring and reduces the frequency of doctor visits. “I was inspired by two things: a desire to help those with diabetes and a desire to commercialize the technology,” said Bonbouton Founder and CEO Linh Le, who developed and patented the core graphene technology while pursuing a doctorate in chemical engineering at Stevens.
Billions of dollars can be saved in healthcare costs
Le started to create an insole that could help prevent diabetic ulcers after several personal incidents lead him to pursue preventative healthcare. “I am excited to realize the full potential the technology that will bring seamless preventative care to patients and save billions of dollars in healthcare costs.”
Stevens is a shareholder of Bonbouton (legally known as FlexTraPower) and co-owns two of the seven patents filed by the company.
20.11.2019
