Magnetic hydrogel based shoe insoles for diabetics

Abstract

According to WHO’s Global report on diabetes 420 million adults are affected by diabetes worldwide. Foot infections are the most prevailing health complications in diabetics which arise due to neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. The former concerns with nerve damage whereas the latter causes fatty depositions in blood vessels which reduce the blood flow causing pain, infection and slow healing wounds. One alternative therapy which is gaining popularity is the application of magnetic field to improve blood circulation by use of magnetic insoles. However, hydrogel based magnetic insoles have been scarcely reported. An efficient strategy is employed for the preparation of flexible magnetic hybrid hydrogels consisting of mixture of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) and iron-oxide (Fe3O4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) dispersed in PVP/CMC cross-linked hydrogels. Here the MNP ratio has been varied in the ratio of 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and 0:1, respectively. The method involves the formation of cross-linking between the two polymer chains under high pressure and temperature. The hybrid hydrogels were chemically and morphologically characterized using SEM, FTIR, VSM, swellability and mechanical testing. The morphological analysis showed the porous structure while using the VSM magnetic properties of the samples were evaluated. The rheological properties of the hydrogels were also investigated with the aim to verify their behaviour under an applied mechanical stress. The presence of MNPs, the hydrogel is capable of responding to an external magnetic field. Preliminary data show the possibility of use of the material for magnetic insoles for diabetics.