Startup announces intelligent socks that help combat diabetic foot ulceration
A startup called Siren has unveiled socks embedded with microsensors to help people with diabetes monitor for foot injuries.
Nearly 30 million people in the United States, or 9.3% of the population, have diabetes. Foot wounds occur in up to one third of those with the condition, and this is considered to be one of the most dangerous and costly complications of the disease. It can easily lead to infection, diabetic ulcers and ultimately amputation because of lost nerve-sensitivity and sores. This is why 100,000 limbs are amputated each year.
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To help combat foot injuries, Siren is launching intelligent socks that instantly tell people with diabetes when they’re developing the warning signs of ulcers. The Siren Diabetic Sock and Foot Monitoring System‘s secret is in something the company calls Neurofabric – a flexible, discreet, washable textile with microsensors woven directly into the cloth.
The intelligent socks continuously monitor foot temperature at six key points along each foot. Such data is clinically proven to detect signs of inflammation early. In fact, studies say this is up to 87% more effective at preventing diabetic foot ulcers than standard diabetic foot care. If the system detects an increase in temperature, the user immediately receives a notification on their phone giving them ample time to take action.
“We built this technology because foot ulcers are the most common, costly and deadly complication for people with diabetes, yet there was no way to continuously monitor for these massive problems,” said Ran Ma, CEO and co-founder of Siren.
“Our Neurofabric has endless applications across healthcare, sports, military, and fashion, but it was obvious to us that solving this specific problem is where we had to start, because it impacts so many and can mean the difference between losing a limb or not.”
This is not the only product of its kind. At CES 2018 earlier this year, Motus announced Motus Smart – Sensoria powered intelligent diabetic footwear. The intelligent shoe monitors a patient’s rehabilitation compliance to the clinician’s prescribed mechanical offloading protocol and alerts to diabetic foot injuries. There is also a text messaging system and web dashboard to facilitate medical intervention as needed.
The Siren socks look and feel just like any old pair of socks and are available for pre-order now. All users need to do is put on their socks like they would any other day.
A subscription includes five pairs of new Siren Diabetic Socks shipped every 6 months, the Siren smartphone app, and live customer support. Customers who order in the next 30 days can look forward to a discounted launch price starting at $19.95 per month.
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