Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Smart Insole to Measure Plantar Temperature

Diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) could potentially be avoided by continuously monitoring plantar (foot sole) temperature at home to alert the onset of tissue breakdown. Systems, which can measure plantar temperature in real-time, have limited availability and are relatively expensive. We report on the synthesis, design, characterization, and implementation of a laser-induced graphene (LIG) based smart insole capable of measuring plantar temperature and pressure continuously and generating and storing the plantar temperature maps. Our proposed solution is lightweight, cheaper, and comparable in sensitivity, Limit of Detection, Range of Detection, Response Time, and Recovery time to other available solutions. This is the first study to utilize LIG in insoles to generate temperature maps that effectively identify patients with severe DSPN and those at high risk of DFU.