Washington company develops special shoes for people with diabetes

REDMOND — A Washington-based maker of remote sensors for health care has teamed up with a Florida-based maker of protective footwear for people with diabetes to create shoes that can monitor diabetic ulcers and help prevent further injury and even future diabetes-related amputations.

According to a press release from Sensoria Health, both Sensoria and Miami-based Defender have created the Foot Defender boot, special footwear equipped with Sensoria’s remote patient monitoring sensors designed to reduce the pressure on diabetic foot ulcers by around 50%. The boots, which are connected to the internet, also monitor patient activity to provide both patients and doctors with information on how patients with diabetes can improve their lives, the press release stated.

The World Health Organization said around 422 million worldwide suffer from diabetes, the press release stated, adding that every 20 seconds, someone somewhere in the world loses a limb to the disease.

Sensoria, based in Redmond, makes a series of wearable medical sensors including wrist-worn exercise monitors, knee braces, and a special onesie baby sleeping monitor.