I-Corps: Non-invasive, multimode, hand-held technology for wound assessment

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a multimodal optical imaging system that quantitatively measures tissue biomarkers to characterize healing in diabetic wounds. Diabetic wounds in the US affect more than eight million patients annually with an estimated economic burden of around $30 billion. There is an unmet need for comprehensive imaging tools that can non-invasively measure multiple biomarkers, elucidate underlying tissue changes in diabetic wounds, and provide anatomical and functional information for individualized therapy.

In addition, there is a need for objective wound assessment tools to furnish clinicians and caregivers with fast and quantitative methods of determining wound healing/nonhealing status. The proposed device has the potential to assess the risk of developing ulcers and to grade the status of an ulcer as well as to quantify several biomarkers to help guide treatment.

Additionally, this technology may be applied to not only diabetic foot ulcers but also burn wounds, surgical wounds, pressure ulcers, and even amputation sites. The benefit may impact wound clinics, home health institutions, and long-term care facilities.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a non-invasive, multimodal, hand-held technology that combines thermal, reflectance, and fluorescence imaging to provide in vivo evaluation of tissue metabolic state, tissue oxygenation, vasculature, and temperature indices. The proposed technology may be used to provide treatment plans that can be adjusted and documented in a patient’s electronic medical record to inform decision-making.

Monitoring of biomarkers may give clinicians early indication of complications during wound healing, leading to clearer and more effective interventions or changes in the wound care regime. There have been technological advances within the field of wound care. However, most monitoring technologies focus on a single biomarker.

The proposed technology aims to fill in the gaps by combining the measurements of several biomarkers to give a more complete assessment of a wound. The combination of biomarkers plus recent advances in LED and camera technology have allowed for a multi-modal device to now be possible.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.