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IndiRock'nSole
INDIvidualized ROCKer shoes and inSOLE for people with Diabetic Neuropathy Research
INDIvidualized ROCKer shoes and inSOLE for people with Diabetic Neuropathy
60 million European citizens are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus (DM), and up to 25% of them will develop diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). This often has severe consequences: Every 30 seconds somewhere in the world a DFU related amputation takes place. INDIvidualized ROCKer shoes and inSOLE for people with Diabetic Neuropathy (IndiRock’nSole), aims to prevent this.
The effectiveness of current shoe solutions largely depends on the individual skills of the shoe technician. These skills determine the adequacy of the shape of the insole and more. As shoe technicians are unaware of what happens inside the shoe, some pressure measuring solutions have been developed that aid the shoe technician in deciding how to shape the insole and the shoe. The results however leave room for improvement and the issue of foot shape changing over time remains unaddressed. As a result healthcare focuses on wound care.
IndiRock’nSole is an innovative shoe concept that will tackle this problem. Our solution consists of a 3D printed midsole, the shape of which is determined by an algorithm, and a self-adjusting insole. With DFU prevention we will keep these patients mobile.
Relevance
How our research benefits to society
Currently too many patients (100 million) develop DFUs, leading to a huge burden on patient health (wound management, pain, immobility). The current focus is on DFU treatment instead of prevention, which also means that healthcare costs are high. The treatment costs for one ulcer are over €10.000. With our focus on prevention, we not only make life easier for patients, but also address this economic burden.
IndiRock'nSole is a project connected to Smart Prevention, Rehabilitation & INtervention (SPRINT)
Partners
The project is funded by EIT Health, and led by the UMCG. It is part of EXPAND. Through EIT Health’s network, we are collaborating with different partners to realise our goals. Together with the University of Coimbra and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), and our business partners Lode Holding and OIM Orthopedie, we are working to introduce the solution on the market by the end of the project.
