advanced warning of composite material critical failure

Bracing a diabetic foot with carbon fiber composite based orthoses yield a risk to the patient. Critical structural failure often occurs with no warning, which may result in cuts that won't heal and in worst case amputation. Getting an early warning of structure failure could change this outcome, and is thus worth considering.

Researchers has found a way to monitor the structural integrity by running a current through nanotubes imbedded in the composite material. More about it here.

So far nanotubes are rather expensive, but so is amputation.