Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness
  3. News

Siren Care wants to help you manage your diabetes with a smart sock

Lulu Chang
By

siren care smart sock screen shot 2016 11 28 at 7 44 37 am
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Taking care of yourself sometimes requires a bottom-up approach, and here to help with that is Siren Care, a diabetic health-tracking startup with a rather novel approach to wellness. It all starts with a sock.

Thanks to these cozy wearables, diabetics can keep tabs on any sort of inflammation and associated injury in real time, all from their feet. Because both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause foot swelling that sometimes serves as a prelude to more serious problems, early detection is key for patients. That’s where Siren Care’s socks come into play. By using temperature sensors that are actually woven into the sock itself, co-founders Ran Ma and Veronica Tran believe they have a novel solution to a well-noted problem.

Recommended Videos

The data collected by the Siren sock is stored in the wearable, on its companion smartphone app, and of course, in the cloud so that patients can monitor their health from just about anywhere, and from any source. Anytime a high-temperature difference is detected, the app will alert the patient to the potential issue, and prompt the user to check their foot.

Related

“It could be something as simple as you have a shoelace tucked into your shoe and don’t feel it and you can get an injury from that,” Ma told TechCrunch.

So how long do these socks last? According to the Siren Care team, each wearable lasts a solid six months, and they are only “on” when being worn. Once you take them off, the socks go into sleep mode so as to not waste energy. And don’t worry — you can throw these socks in the wash without destroying their smart capabilities.

And these smart capabilities are just starting, Ma said. “Our SirenSmart Textile technology is able to incorporate a number of sensors and electronics, including moisture sensors, pressure sensors, light sensors, LEDs, RFIDs, MCU, BLE, etc. seamlessly into fabric.” So look out for more applications from the team’s smart socks (or other clothes) soon.

Currently, you can pre-order Siren’s smart socks, and arrange to receive seven pairs of socks every six months.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Apple patent foresees a smart home that can ID you by reading your heartbeat
apple smart home patent would spy on your life

A new Apple patent would make your house an actual “smart home” in every sense, from reading your heartbeat, to telling who you are, to the ability to coordinate your different smart devices. 

The patent, first reported by Patently Apple, is titled Object Tracking And Authentication Using Modular Wall Units, and was initially submitted in August 2018 and published on February 13. The patent is long and detailed, but basically, Apple wants to create an interconnected smart home that senses and works with other devices and inanimate objects, and even can differentiate between human users. 

Read more
Now Google Assistant can help you remember where you left your keys and wallet
Tile Pro 2020

Instead of asking your spouse if they’ve seen your keys, you can now ask Google Assistant instead. On February 3, Google announced integration between Google Assistant and Tile to help you keep track of the possessions you need most: Your keys, wallet, phone, and more. All you have to do is ask, “Hey, Google, where are my keys?” You can also tell Google to “make my backpack ring” if you know it’s in the room, but you can’t quite remember where you last had it.

If you ask for the location of an item, Google Assistant will use Tile’s Bluetooth functionality to give you a more approximate answer like, “Your keys were last seen this morning at 7 a.m. near the living room speaker.” Tile also has location service integration that will be used if the Tile you’re looking for is outside of Bluetooth range or otherwise can’t be reached.

Read more
LG not only wants to keep your leafy greens fresh, but help you grow them too
Lg Indoor Garden

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

Indoor gardens seem like something more at home at CES 2000 than CES 2020. But electronics maker LG doesn't think the idea of indoor gardening is past its prime and is showing off an indoor gardening system that can be attached to the side of its refrigerators.

Read more