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.
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.
“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.
