Promising treatment for diabetic foot ulcers on the horizon

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a shoe insole that delivers oxygen to diabetic foot ulcers. They used lasers to shape silicone-based rubber into insoles, and then created reservoirs that release oxygen just to the part of the foot where the ulcer is located. The insole can deliver oxygen at least eight hours a day under the pressure of someone weighing about 53-81kg, and can be customised for any weight. The team now want to 3D print the whole insole, rather than printing a mould first and then laser-machining a pattern, and plan to test the insole on diabetic ulcers, to further gauge how well they advance the healing process. A patent is pending on the insole technology and the team is seeking corporate partners.
Desmond Bell, a podiatrist in wound management and amputation prevention at the Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, and the founder of the Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation, said: “We typically treat ulcers by removing devitalised tissue from the surface of the wound, and by helping the patient to find ways to take the weight off the affected foot. The gold standard for treating an ulcer is a patient wearing a total-contact cast, which provides a protective environment for the foot. If we could test how well this insole delivers oxygen to the wound site from within the cast, then this could be a way of aiding the healing process.”
Vaibhav Jain, a recent graduate from Purdue’s mechanical engineering master’s program and a current research associate in electrical and computer engineering, said: “This is mass-customisation at low cost. We’re wanting to bring this technology to the user by addressing whichever technicalities would be required to simplify the manufacturing flow.”