In-shoe sensor aims to prevent diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetes affects over 4.5 million people in the UK, of whom 2.5 per cent will develop a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), a debilitating condition that has a huge impact on the patient’s quality of life, and costs the NHS up to £1.13bn annually.

Diabetes affects the nerve and blood supply to peripheral areas of the body, such as the feet, according to Dr Peter Culmer at Leeds University, who is leading the EPSRC-funded project.

“This means your skin is likely to become damaged and ulcerate, but you are also less likely to feel it,” he said. “It can get to the point where an amputation is the only possible solution.”

Over 125 such amputations are carried out in the UK every week, according to Diabetes UK.

To prevent DFUs, and to diagnose and treat those that do occur, clinicians need to understand the behaviour of the sole of the patient’s foot. However, existing in-shoe digital analysis systems are expensive, and measure only a small part of the information needed.