Innovative technology!AI-powered smart stockings revolutionize treatment of diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is considered one of the most challenging complications to manage in diabetes. Globally, there are approximately 560 million people with diabetes, and nearly half of them experience varying degrees of peripheral nerve damage during the course of the disease.

Patients often experience sensory loss, chronic pain, foot ulcers, and even amputation, placing a significant burden on their quality of life and the healthcare system. Traditional treatments (painkillers, physical therapy, electrical stimulation patches) largely focus on symptomatic relief and are unlikely to reverse neurodegeneration or restore tactile function. This means that there remains a significant unmet clinical need in the market for neuropathic pain treatment.

MYNERVA AG, a spin-off of the Swiss company ETH Zurich, is opening up new avenues for the treatment of neuropathies with a smart sock called “Leia”.

These socks contain embedded pressure sensors, electrode arrays, and micro-computing units that can capture the pressure distribution on the soles of the feet as the patient walks. They then use artificial intelligence algorithms to convert this data into precise electrical stimulation signals that are transmitted to healthy nerve areas.

Leia bypasses damaged nerve segments to artificially reconstruct sensory input in the sole of the foot. "We want patients to 'feel the ground' again, not just relieve pain," says Greta Preatoni, founder and CEO of MYNERVA. This "neural substitution input" method not only improves gait balance but also induces the release of analgesic neurotransmitters, thus significantly reducing chronic pain.

AI-driven personalized neural stimulation

Leia's core competitive advantage lies in its AI-adaptive neurostimulation system.

Dynamic Adjustment: The algorithm automatically adjusts the stimulation intensity based on changes in foot pressure, skin impedance, and neural feedback.

Personalized Learning: Each patient generates an independent neurostimulation model, and the system can self-optimize as their neural state changes.

Closed-loop control: Data is transmitted back to a mobile app in real time, allowing doctors to remotely monitor and optimize parameters.

Compared to traditional TENS (transcutaneous electrical stimulation) or fixed-frequency neuromodulation devices, Leia's AI algorithm achieves truly personalized neurorehabilitation.

This "human-machine co-adaptation" mechanism not only helps patients regain sensation in their feet, but also induces the body to release natural analgesic neurotransmitters, fundamentally alleviating neuropathic pain. This technological approach not only belongs to wearable medtech, but also lies at the intersection of smart neurointerface and digital therapy (DTx).

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With the convergence of neural engineering and artificial intelligence, wearable medical devices are moving from "monitoring" to "treatment."

Smart neural interfaces are restoring sensation, reducing pain, slowing disease progression—and reshaping patients' quality of life.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of medicine, and as engineering technology and life sciences deeply integrate, the healthcare industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation.

In this new era of AI empowerment, intelligent manufacturing, and the intertwining of life sciences, "medical-engineering integration" is becoming a key path driving the medical technology revolution and industrial upgrading.