title: Remote wound monitoring of chronic ulcers.
abstract: Chronic wounds or ulcers are wounds that do not heal in the usual manner. This type of wound is most common in the elderly and in paraplegic patients with an estimated 1% of the population suffering from leg ulcers and the costs adding up to 4% of the annual National Health Service budget in the U.K. There is an identified need to develop a device capable of remote wound monitoring that enables patients to take charge of their wound management under clinical guidance. A new ¿wound mapping¿ device has been developed, which is based on electrical impedance spectroscopy and involves the multifrequency characterization of the electrical properties of wound tissue under an electrode array. A key feature of the prototype device is the anticipated incorporation of the measuring array into standard commercial occlusive dressings, thereby protecting the wound from interference and contamination, and thus, promoting wound healing, while monitoring the protected wound. Further development is planned including wireless transmission, thus enabling telewound monitoring as described earlier.
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Center, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB, UK. sonjaweber@ntlworld.com
authors.forename: Sonja A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watermann
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jossinet
authors.forename: J Anthony
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Jonquille
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chantrey
authors.forename: Shabana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Kane
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: McAdams
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017097:Electric Impedance; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014456:Ulcer / Q000473:pathology*; D014945:Wound Healing