An instrumented shoe for ambulatory prevention of diabetic foot ulceration

Abstract

The diabetic foot may present many complications if it is not regularly controlled. Statistics show that 25% of diabetics that develop peripheral neuropathy will develop a foot ulcer, more than half of them will become infected and 80 % require non-traumatic amputation. This paper presents the instrumentation of an ordinary shoe for the monitoring of diabetic feet to reduce the risk of ulcers. The system contains an insole pressure distribution sensor to monitor the pressure in high risk ulcer points. It also contains temperature sensors placed in critical contact area to give feedback of the friction rate, and a humidity sensor to give feedback of the sweating rate. Since the aim of the system is to give a diabetic person the ability to monitor those critical points, the different sensors communicate wirelessly through Bluetooth with an Android-based phone application.