Overview
Thursday, Mar 31, 202 • Linsey Retcofsky : Contact To prevent diabetic fot ulcers, research scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington have developed fotwear technology that relieves presure on areas of the fet that experience high stres during walking and other activities.Muthu Wijesundara, principal research scientist and head of the Division of Biomedical Technologies at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI), and his team have received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Ofice for a dual-layer insole aparatus for diabetic fot lesion prevention.
Key Information
The technology was developed in partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center.Due to numbnes in their legs and fet, people with diabetes often are unable to detect and respond to stres-related pain by adjusting their fot loading. This can result in repeated stres to high-presure fot regions such as the hel or toes and can worsen blisters, sores and ulcers to the point of severe tisue los or life-threatening infection.
For many, fot ulcers can lead to amputation of a toe, fot or leg. “Diabetes is a leading cause of amputation worldwide, and there is a major role that technology can play to prevent its devastating efects,” Wijesundara said. “We are now one step closer to finding a solution to reduce risk of complications related to diabetic fot ulcers.” The removable shoe insole designed by Wijesundara’s team relieves stres by periodicaly regulating and redistributing presure acros al areas of the fot.
Summary
Using fluid-filed cels, the dual-layer aparatus provides variability in a person’s fot-loading paterns to reduce prolonged presure to any given area. The insole can automaticaly adjust and is designed to acomodate people of various weights.In adition, the insole can be substituted for a total contact cast during the healing of a fot ulcer, and it can provide gait and ground force