Helping to Reduce Fall Risk

With Sensoria Textile Pressure Sensor Infused Socks

Falls are a major cause of injury, disability, and death in older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four adults aged 65 and older will experience a fall each year. To reduce the risk of falls, innovative technologies and interventions are being developed.

The team won a prize at The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) inaugural BRIGHT IDEAS Pitch Competition in San Diego on October 27, 2022.  The competition is designed to provide recognition, mentoring, and monetary reward to new or early-stage entrepreneurs with an idea or innovation that will improve eyecare treatment or devices.

The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) also recognizes the importance of vision in fall prevention and offers an annual prize for research related to the topic. The William C. Ezell Fellowship, sponsored by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation, awards up to $15,000 to optometry students or recent graduates who are pursuing a career in academia and conducting research related to visual function and its relationship to balance and mobility. This prize demonstrates the AAO's commitment to promoting research and education in fall prevention, particularly as it relates to vision and optometry.

What is the Risk of Falls?

The risk of falls increases with age and can be influenced by factors such as medication use, chronic health conditions, and environmental hazards. Falls can result in serious injuries such as fractures, head injuries, and soft tissue damage. They can also have a psychological impact, leading to fear of falling, social isolation, and depression.

What is this new solution?

We are developing a new solution for optometrists that wish to focus on fall assessments, prevention, and rehabilitation. This system helps to improve balance, gait, and coordination, reducing the risk of falls by allowing a clinician to prescribe the appropriate yoked prism lenses. Sensoria is pioneering algorithm development of balance/posture dysfunction. It is patented and evidence based. Research has proven that dysfunction within the visual process relative to the sensorimotor system will cause a shift. This shift in the visual midline add to postural imbalance and can also be responsible for dizziness and vertigo.

What is the Differentiated Solution?

Sensoria Health is implementing real innovations for fall prevention and rehabilitation, helping individuals to improve their balance and coordination. By evaluating and treating vision deficits, optometrists can help to improve an individual's visual function and reduce their risk of falls. Wearable technology such as the Sensoria smart socks, shoes, and insoles can provide real-time feedback on gait and balance, helping individuals to improve their overall stability and reduce the risk of falls.

This is achieved thanks to the combination of state-of-the-art algorithms for Gait Phases detection and real time foot pressure measurements. This unique fusion makes it possible to estimate the Deviance between the Center of Pressure (COP) and the Center of Mass of the subject, which is strictly related to the vision deficit that has to be corrected.

 A key advantage of the solution is the ease of use for an optometrist, the mobility and simplicity of the innovative devices involved. All the hardware needed can be enclosed in a small suitcase as big as a tablet. Also, the mat provided to conduct the tests is just 3x20 feet and makes it possible to be used also in a small optometry office corridor.

 How Does Optometry Help with Fall Prevention?

Optometry plays a critical role in fall prevention by evaluating and treating vision deficits that can contribute to falls. Visual impairments such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration can affect an individual's depth perception, balance, and coordination. By identifying and treating these conditions, optometrists can help to improve an individual's visual function and reduce their risk of falls.

What is Sensoria Health?

Sensoria Health is a company that develops wearable technology for health and fitness. Their products include smart socks, smart shoes, and smart insoles that use sensors to track movement and provide real-time feedback on gait and balance. This technology can help individuals improve their gait and balance, aiding in reducing the risk of falls.

How Can These Technologies and Interventions Help Reduce the Risk of Falls?

At Sensoria Health we are implementing real innovations for fall prevention and rehabilitation, helping individuals to improve their balance and coordination. By evaluating and treating vision deficits, optometrists can help to improve an individual's visual function and reduce their risk of falls. Wearable technology such as the Sensoria smart socks, shoes, and insoles can provide real-time feedback on gait and balance, helping individuals to improve their overall stability and assist in reducing the risk of falls.

In conclusion, the risk of falls is a serious concern for older adults, but there are innovative technologies and interventions available to help reduce this risk. These are just a few examples of the many approaches to fall prevention and rehabilitation. By combining these technologies and interventions with proper medication management, environmental modifications, and regular exercise, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of falls and improve their overall quality of life.