Early detection and treatment device for diabetic foot neuropathy

Abstract

Background: Diabetic foot neuropathy is one of the complications of diabetes that affects around 50% of diabetic people. Because peripheral neuropathy involves nerve loss around the foot areas, patients with diabetic neuropathy frequently lose sensation in their feet while walking or standing. Furthermore, since sensory nerves are damaged, the area that holds the majority of the foot pressure and temperature is at high risk of injury. If not diagnosed and treated properly, it can cause foot injury and eventually lead to edema, gangrene, ulcers, amputation, and even death. There are now several techniques of detecting diabetic neuropathy, but they are limited in their availability, cost-effectiveness, and complexity.

Aims: The primary goal of this research was to develop devices for early detection and treatment of diabetic foot neuropathy.

Methods: The proposed device combines a foot pressure monitoring method and a foot temperature measurement method to diagnose diabetic neuropathy early on, with red light therapy added as a treatment method. For 2 weeks, the device measures the patient's foot pressure and temperature, and light therapy is provided if a change in pressure or temperature at a specific area is observed.

Results: The device prototype was successfully developed, and numerous tests were carried out in accordance with the design specifications. For pressure measurement and temperature measurement, measurement accuracy of 99.05% and 99.30%, respectively, were attained.

Conclusion: The early detection and treatment device developed in this study could be used at home by diabetic patients as well as in hospitals to test for and treat diabetic foot neuropathy at an early stage. The device incorporates two different methods of diabetic foot neuropathy detection with high measurement accuracy which makes it suitable for use in resource-limited areas at low cost. The incorporation of red light therapy together with the two methods of diabetic neuropathy detection gives another unique feature for our device.

Keywords: Diabetes; Diabetic foot ulcer; Foot pressure; Foot temperature; Red light therapy.