Ocean Insight and Spectral MD collaborated to develop noninvasive diagnostic technology using multispectral imaging technology to improve outcomes for patients with serious wounds.
Nearly 6.5 million patients in the U.S. suffer chronic wounds from causes such as burns, infections and complications from diabetes. The U.S. healthcare system spends $25 billion each year on treating wound-related complications.
Currently, physicians use clinical judgment to assess the depth and severity of a burn or infection, or must use invasive diagnostic tests that require biopsy. Studies show that even expert burn care specialists make an accurate assessment of burn depth only 70% of the time. Non-specialists have an even higher error rate.
With the rise of amputations performed every year resulting from diabetes complications and peripheral vascular disease (PVD), better methods are needed to assess the severity of wounds and make data-driven treatment decisions. Improved assessment tools could reduce secondary amputations, promote healing and improve patient outcomes.
Spectral MD was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to identify potential imaging characteristics that would improve the success of amputations resulting from PVD and critical limb ischemia and has received government funding for research and development to improve burn care.