Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that often leads to the development of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes, affecting more than 130 million people worldwide. It is also the leading cause of amputation, costing the U.S. economy alone more than $10 billion annually.

Regular treatment involves encouraging diabetes patients to get regular checkups to monitor for the increased pressure and ulceration, but that method seldom prevents ulcers since they are diagnosed only after they occur.

Members of the BioDesign: Medical Innovation program at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its affiliated Hadassah Medical Center developed a smart solution that could once and for all solve this problem.

“This is a significant medical problem that affects the lives of millions. We thought there must be a way to avoid these wounds altogether,” said Danny Bavli, the group’s lead engineer.

Together with Sagi Frishman and Dr. David Morgenstern from Hadassah Medical Center, they developed SenseGO, a machine-washable sock with dozens of micro-fabricated pressure sensors.

With SenseGO, changes in pressure caused by incorrect posture, anatomical deformation or ill-fitting shoes are registered as electrical signals and from there relayed to a smartphone app, which then informs the patient of developing risk.

“By giving patients and their families the tools they need to prevent the development of ulcers, we can dramatically reduce healthcare costs related to diabetes,” said Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, BioDesign program director.

Other members of the BioDesign SenseGO team include Inbal Boxerman and Yael Hadar, MBA students at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

This isn’t the first modern ulcer-fighting technology we’ve seen. MR3 Health and Sensiotec are developing similar technologies, and so does Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg.