Project Number: KO01SMX
Diabetes affects 8.5% of the global population and can cause significant physical disability and premature mortality while imposing huge financial burdens both on the individual and health services, due to long term treatments, long hospital stays and loss of labour.
The team have developed a wearable in-shoe temperature monitoring system, DRIFT, that provides comprehensive, real-time data analysis to prevent foot complications in people living with diabetes.
When combined with advanced spatial and temporal data analysis techniques, DRIFT can lead to significantly improved assessment, prevention and treatment for high-risk patients. The solution includes a user-friendly mobile app for data collection and analysis. The system will also provide patients with a real-time monitoring and alerting tool for the detection of areas at risk of foot complications such as deteriorating vascular supply and ulcer development which could eventually lead to amputations. Clinicians will also be able to access the data through a web server and this will allow them to better monitor patient condition and develop improved personalised prevention and treatment plans.
The technology can significantly improve screening and prevention in all diabetics, it is particularly suitable for diabetic patients with a poor vascular supply, neuropathy (loss of sensation) or foot deformity since these patients are at an even higher risk of complications.
Clinicians and other medical professionals working in multidisciplinary diabetic foot clinics (e.g. diabetologists, endocrinologists, podiatrists, podiatric surgeon, vascular surgeon, diabetes specialist nurses, wound care specialists, physiotherapists, orthotists, etc.), as well as in other therapeutic areas related to foot conditions would also find the system of interest to them.
The foot screening and monitoring system may also be used for the the management of other conditions, improvement of athletic performance, or improving safety and comfort of functional footwear.
The team have developed and tested the initial prototypes and are now in the process of enhancing their test base.
The technology was funded by MCST Fusion Programme, The TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award and the MITA Innovation Award.
The technology is being developed in collaboration with .