The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is that the SoleMate Solutions' smart insole will optimize patient rehabilitation for lower extremity conditions. Currently, issues with patient compliance lead to unintended costs to the healthcare industry. Lower extremity conditions are especially prone to issues because of the lack of clarity on how to recover at home. This process is subject to confusion which can cause patients to either apply too much or too little weight during rehabilitation, leading to many complications. These can include malalignment of bone which requires additional treatment or even surgery. 15 million people experience lower extremity injuries each year and the rate of complications lead to approximately $12 billion in unintended costs. The SoleMate insole aims to resolve this issue by providing patients with real-time feedback to correct form by measuring weight applied while walking. This information is not only helpful for patients, but physicians are also informed on how compliant patients were during recovery. There are no other products that can track rehabilitation based on weightbearing. Furthermore, the applications for this technology extend past medicine. An insole that can accurately track how someone walks can be applied to sports and orthopedic research.
This I-Corps project is aimed for manufacturing a device that can accurately measure weightbearing while walking during an episode of care. Sensors placed in the insole are coupled with a patient-specific algorithm that generates a summary that patients can check on their smart phone. This information will also be integrated into a patient?s summary on recovery at the doctor?s office. Real-time feedback on how much weight a patient applies throughout the day can correct for form. From a clinician?s perspective, this information can be useful on tailoring future treatment to the individual. There are other research devices that can accurately measure how someone walks, but these devices are typically expensive and wired to a computer. Creating a wireless device allows for continual feedback and a more accurate picture of someone?s activity throughout the day. Lower extremity rehabilitation would be less confusing with a smart insole that can track form and activity.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
