Pressure-Sensitive Stockings Help Prevent Undetected Wounds

May-17-15 Sensor-laden stockings able to monitor pressure in different areas of the foot could help reduce amputations.

Because diabetics have often lost the feeling in their feet, undetected wounds can build up and develop into abscesses that can then lead to amputation. To help protect against such injuries, researchers from Fraunhofer have developed a stocking with 40 integrated sensors that will measure pressure and load distribution from three dimensions. When the sensors detect pressure building up in a particular area, the stockings will transmit an alert wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet.

The team is currently working on ways to make the stockings washable in regular laundry, although they can be safely cleaned using a disinfectant.

More Info about this Invention:

[MEDGADGET.COM]
[FRAUNHOFER.DE]

---