A device for measurement of properties of a body
This device measures the mechanical properties of tissues, which is particularly useful for determining tissue stiffness of a body part, which can indicate conditions like diabetic foot ulcers - a severe complication of diabetes that often leads to lower-leg amputations. The technology's unique feature lies in its indenter mechanism, which measures the stiffness of tissues by recording force and distance metrics during indentation, providing a quantitative assessment of tissue health. The device is designed to be portable, reusable, and adaptable for various tissue types and measurement locations. It can also be used on feet of all sizes, making it suitable for clinical and research applications.
Current methods for diagnosing diabetic foot ulcers primarily focus on separately measuring neuropathy (nerve damage) or vascular health (blood flow). These methods often provide qualitative measurements or rely on expensive and non-reusable tools. This poses a challenge for early diagnosis, especially in resource-constrained settings. The lack of a cost-effective, quantitative, and reusable diagnostic tool hinders the timely detection of diabetic foot ulcers, potentially leading to severe complications. There is a need for a device that can accurately measure tissue stiffness, a key indicator of hyperglycemia and a predictor of ulcer development.
- Early Diagnosis: Enables early detection of diabetic foot ulcers by measuring tissue stiffness, potentially reducing severe complications.
- Quantitative Data: Provides a quantitative measurement of tissue stiffness, unlike current tools that offer only qualitative assessments.
- Affordability and Reusability: Designed to be low-cost and reusable, addressing the needs of primary healthcare centers and reducing overall healthcare costs.
- Portability: Compact and portable, making it suitable for use in various healthcare settings, including remote and underserved areas.
- Modularity: Adaptable to different foot sizes and capable of multiple simultaneous measurements, enhancing diagnostic efficiency.
- Simultaneous Force and Displacement Measurement: Combines a spring-loaded indenter, plunger mechanism, force sensor, and distance sensor to measure force and tissue displacement simultaneously, enhancing tissue stiffness analysis.
- Quantitative Stiffness Assessment: Calculates and plots stiffness curves by measuring force and displacement, objectively evaluating tissue elasticity beyond subjective methods.
- Modular Indenter Design: Features interchangeable probes for measuring various biomedical parameters like vibration, sensitivity, ultrasound, electrical conductivity, and temperature, expanding device functionality.
- Motorized Plunger Option: Offers controlled, standardized indentation depths with a motorized plunger, enhancing measurement accuracy and repeatability over manual systems.
- Multi-Point Measurement: Supports multiple indenters at predefined locations for simultaneous measurements across a larger tissue area, providing a more comprehensive assessment than single-point measurements.
It is a handheld device designed to measure the stiffness of tissues, particularly for diagnosing diabetic foot ulcers. It consists of a spring-loaded indenter that presses against the tissue, a plunger mechanism to control the indentation depth, a force measurement sensor to measure the resistance encountered by the indenter, and a distance measurement sensor to track the indenter's movement. The distance measurement sensor uses infrared technology, and the force sensor operates on the piezoresistive principle. The device measures force and distance as a time function, enabling tissue stiffness calculation. The device's output is typically a stiffness curve derived from the force-displacement relationship. It is intended to provide a quantitative assessment of tissue elasticity, which correlates with the severity of diabetic complications.
This new technology is for measuring body tissue stiffness, particularly useful for early detection of diabetic foot ulcers. It's portable, reusable, and affordable, making it valuable for resource-limited settings. Early detection with this device could improve diabetic patients' quality of life by reducing amputations and potentially has broader applications beyond diabetic foot care due to its modular design.
Its primary application domain is medical engineering and biomedical engineering, particularly for diagnosing the onset of diabetic foot ulcers; this technology holds potential for broader applications. For instance, it could be used in sports medicine to assess muscle and tendon stiffness, aiding in injury prevention and rehabilitation. In cosmetic dermatology, it could be used to evaluate skin elasticity and track the effectiveness of anti-aging treatments.