Diabetic foot ulcers are common maladies that are difficult to heal. In many cases, a total-contact cast is put on the leg with the ulcer to take the pressure off of the bottom of the foot, helping it to heal. While this is effective, supplying oxygen to the ulcer also helps it to heal. This is difficult to do when a patient wears a cast, but researchers at Purdue University have come up with a solution that just might work.
The research team has developed special insoles that contain pockets of oxygen near the site of the ulcer. These reservoirs slowly release the oxygen gas onto the insole, and are designed to be used along with a cast.
In order to personalize each insole and to control the release of the oxygen, the silicone-based rubber material of which they’re made of can laser machined individually. This allows the oxygen pockets to be placed exactly where they’ll come in contact with an ulcer, and the permeability of the silicone can also be adjusted to control the flow of oxygen.
Here’s a video that gives a glance at how the new insoles are created:
Study in Materials Research Society Communications: A laser-customizable insole for selective topical oxygen delivery to diabetic foot ulcers…
Via: Purdue…