This Innovative Sock Restores Sensation for Diabetics

In France, it is estimated that more than four million people live with some type of diabetes while nearly a million are not yet diagnosed according to the AP-HP Foundation. Worldwide, the number of people affected by this disease reached 589 million in 2024 according to the French Diabetics Federation and the number of undiagnosed people rose to 252 million. With this disease many symptoms, more or less visible, occur and can lead to serious complications, such as loss of sensitivity in the feet.

Why do we lose sensitivity in our feet when we are diabetic?

At first glance, for a person who does not have this disease, it is difficult to see the connection between diabetes and loss of sensitivity in the feet. However, this symptom is directly linked to the disease.

Indeed, as Ameli points out, diabetes can affect the nerves and alter blood circulation in the lower limbs and therefore lead to a loss of sensitivity in the feet.

In the first case, when diabetes damages the nerves, we will speak of diabetic neuropathy. In the second case, poor blood circulation is diabetic arteriopathy.

Thus, in the case of diabetic neuropathy, the nerves of the feet are affected and more precisely those linked to touch, heat or pain. In the case of arteriopathy, blood circulation is hampered or even prevented by the weakening of the arterial walls and the continuous deposits of cholesterol which make it difficult for blood to flow to the lower limbs, namely the feet, but also the legs.

How is this dangerous?

Not feeling pain is not a gift or a superpower, but a wound. Indeed, hurting yourself without knowing it because you don't feel anything is more dangerous than anything else.

Imagine, you walk barefoot in your house or garden and you cut yourself on a piece of glass or a piece of rusty iron. However, you feel absolutely nothing. Well, the risk is that a wound becomes infected, which can lead to more serious complications later.

And this is one example among many others. We could also talk about the fact that not feeling your feet and having bad shoes encourages the appearance of blisters which can become infected…

In short, not feeling pain, whether in the feet or elsewhere, is not a gift and in such a case, vigilance should certainly not fade but rather increase. Because being insensitive to pain does not make us invincible.

Leia, a smart sock that restores this lost sensitivity

It is therefore to resolve this problem inherent to diabetic patients that a Swiss company, Mynervahas given itself the mission of developing a device capable of restoring sensitivity to the feet of people with diabetes.

And what's better than a sock to counteract this symptom?

Named Leia, this sock incorporates artificial intelligence, non-invasive electrical pulses and pressure sensors so that patients who have lost sensation in their feet can regain confidence in their ability to walk.

By electrically stimulating the nerves in the feet using a processor interpreting walking signals sent from pressure sensors, diabetic patients can once again feel the ground beneath their feet.

A revolutionary device but which will not be available immediately. If a prototype is currently functional,
Mynerva intends to carry out a long-term study to attest to the reliability and benefits of its product which could change the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world who will use it on a daily basis.

In their plans, the company intends to market the first models in 2027.

Source : New Atlas / Ameli / AP-HP Foundation /
French Federation of Diabetics / International Diabetes Federation