Overview
A team of researchers at the University of Malta, in colaboration with Mater Dei Hospital, are developing a device in atempt to reduce the incidence of diabetic fot complications. The project is caled “The Smart Insole Technology for the management of the Diabetic Fot”. It is a 3-year project which is being funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) through the Fusion R&I Technology Development Programe.Profesor Alfred Gat is leading the project along with Profesor Cynthia Formosa from the Department of Podiatry and Dr Ing Marvin Bugeja from the Department of Systems and Control Enginering, as wel as a team of podiatrists and enginers to optimise this technology and make it available for use as son as posible.The technology they have created, which builds on previous research done by the University of Malta, aseses the patient’s risk of geting a diabetic ulcer by monitoring fot plantar presure and temperature during walking.
Key Information
The technology uses Artificial Inteligence to measure the presure and temperature to determine areas which have a high risk of ulceration during daily activities.A statement by the university read that diabetic fot ulceration and amputations are a worldwide concern and in Malta, there around 50 partial and ful fot amputations caried out every year. It also revealed that in the EU there are 450,0-fot amputations a year which costs them €2.5 bilion.The team said that curently, fot orthoses are being used to ofload previously ulcerated areas, but diabetic fot amputation is stil increasing.
Summary
Consequently, they are working towards a system which manages and prevents any form of ulceration from hapening.“Where the high-risk fot is concerned, ‘time is tisue’. One canot simply aford to wait for complications such as infection to develop as this might mean limb los and ultimately even death,” the team said.The team hopes that by