Insoles for Neuropathy and Balance Issues

Projektinformationen

Path Feel

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 879948

DOI

10.3030/879948

Projekt abgeschlossen

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 29 Oktober 2019

Startdatum 1 November 2019

Enddatum 31 Dezember 2022

Finanziert unter

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Gesamtkosten

€ 3 277 000,00

EU-Beitrag

€ 2 293 900,00

Koordiniert durch

WALK WITH PATH EUROPE APS
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 5 - Path Feel (Insoles for Neuropathy and Balance Issues)

Berichtszeitraum: 2021-11-01 bis 2022-12-31

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

An aging population and diseases related to aging (Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, neuropathy) increase feet numbness, balance and mobility issues. Affected people stop feeling the ground properly, which makes them lose balance and increases the risk of falls and injuries, which in turn lead to devastating consequences. Patients and families lose their independence and public healthcare costs are rising as a result – now the European population aged 65+ uses 60% of
healthcare resources. One of the ways to reduce the costs of care for the elderly and chronic patients relates to fall prevention.

At Walk With Path we invented Path Feel – an insole that provides vibrational feedback to the feet in real time to help people feel the ground again. It increased the balance and mobility of 92% of users and reduce their risk of falls by 50%. We have proven that it works in a number of pre-clinical studies, and further studies are taking place as part of this project to validate the product in a diabetic population. By bringing mobility back, Path Feel gives more freedom to the patient and the family.

The elderly population in the EU is projected to increase, reaching 75 million by the end of 2020 and 88 million in 2030. Over 220 million people worldwide suffer from balance and sensory issues, and the global walking aids market is estimated to surpass €1 billion by 2023, growing at an estimated CAGR of 4.3% from 2018 to 2023.

Within the project we will finish our existing prototype and make it ready for manufacture, validate it based on clinical and usability testing, certify it according to the required regulations, and introduce it to the market after the project ends.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

During the months of Reporting Period 5, we have made significant progress on product development and our clinical study has been completed with good results. Algorithms that calculate gait parameters are working and being tested in real life and optimised further. Implementation into the insoles firmware has been completed, and only smaller updates are happening now in parallel with app, dashboard and electronics optimisation. End user testing has also been completed and we have full prototypes of the user app and dashboard for healthcare professionals, so several surveys and user testing groups have happened.

The insole design has been finalised for the MVP status. Path Feel design for manufacturing documentation has been created, and production took place, with minor modifications being made now.. We plan to pilot launch in the US with a commercial partner in March 2023, and to commence NHS pilots around the same time.
We participated in various events, including SET Squared investor event and the Cartier Women’s Initiative invited Lise to The Dubai World Expo for a global gathering of entrepreneurs and the greater Cartier network.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

We expect Path Feel to make a significant impact on society and people living with chronic conditions affecting their mobility and many other aspects of their lives, including psychosocial health. Path Feel will contribute improved quality of life for individuals and their families and a reduction in cost to healthcare systems and society. In terms of the technology, we have progressed beyond the state of the art by providing haptic feedback to alleviate symptoms of diabetes (and other potential conditions, including neuropathy caused by aging and MS). Other potential solutions such as insoles with sensors are passive and do not provide a therapeutic benefit in real-time. This is a significant improvement over the state of the art.

Images of the insole prototype (from left to right) from the bottom, from the top and with a side vi

Real data in the dashboard from users of the insole system

Interview in Medical Futurist, April 2020

App visualisation

Interview with Expresso

Insole prototype in use in the clinical study

Latest insole prototype in use for Manchaster for Phase 2

Latest insole prototype exploration in sizing and fit

Design of the layers of the Path Feel insole

Interview with Polidea, April 2020

Healthtech Digital article, April 2020

Interview with Medwatch