Barron Associates Awarded NIH Grant to Develop Diabetic Foot Ulcer Monitoring Technology

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the U.S. is high and increasing in both adults and children—over 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes annually. Among the consequences of diabetes, diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common and major complication, resulting in lower quality-of-life, hospitalization, disability, amputation, and even death. DFUs are the leading cause of hospitalization and disability in patients with diabetes and are the largest category of excess medical costs associated with diabetes.

Research suggests that active management of foot health can prevent the occurrence and reoccurrence of a DFU; however, approaches must be multifaceted and require continual monitoring from both patients and caregivers. The Barron Associates SoleSaver system is a sensor-enabled, unobtrusive, and non-binding foot-worn garment that can be used to continually monitor multiple facets of foot health in order to maximize DFU prevention and minimize DFU recurrence.