Method and apparatus for indicating the emergence of an ulcer

Inventors

Linders, David Robert • Bloom, Jonathan David • Engler, Jeffrey Mark • Petersen, Brian Jude • Geboff, Adam • Kale, David Charles

Assignees

PODIMETRICS Inc

Abstract

A method of monitoring a patient's foot forms a thermogram of the sole of at least one foot of the patient, and determines whether the thermogram presents at least one of a plurality of prescribed patterns. The method also compares the thermogram against a prior thermogram of the same foot, and produces output information indicating the emergence of an ulcer on a given portion on the at least one foot as a function of 1) whether the thermogram is determined to present the at least one pattern, and 2) the comparison with the prior thermogram, which shows non-ulcerated tissue at the given location.

Core Innovation

The invention determines an emergence of an ulcer on a given portion on at least one foot of a patient by using an open platform that has a plurality of temperature sensors. After receipt of the at least one foot, the plurality of temperature sensors generate discrete temperature data values, and a thermogram generator forms at least one thermogram of a sole of the at least one foot from the discrete temperature data values. Each thermogram comprises a spatially continuous data set of two-dimensional temperature values across the sole of one foot.

A pattern recognition system determines whether the at least one thermogram presents at least one of a plurality of prescribed patterns. The determination is performed by comparing the at least one thermogram against a prior thermogram of the same foot, and the prior thermogram shows non-ulcerated tissue at the given portion, and in some cases pre-ulcer. Prescribed patterns are used to characterize the thermogram so that emergence can be inferred from the presence of the patterns and the comparison context.

The analyzer or producing function produces output information indicating an emergence of an ulcer on the given portion. The output information is a function of whether the at least one thermogram is determined to present the at least one prescribed pattern and of the comparison against the prior thermogram showing non-ulcerated tissue at the given portion. The disclosed implementations include method, apparatus, and computer program product forms for performing these determinations.

Claims Coverage

The document provides three independent claim types, a method, a computer program product, and an apparatus, sharing the same core logic of thermogram formation from discrete temperature sensor data, prescribed pattern recognition, and comparison to a prior thermogram showing non-ulcerated tissue to produce ulcer-emergence output. Across the independent claims, the inventive features consistently include an open platform with temperature sensors, spatially continuous 2D thermograms across the sole, prescribed pattern detection, and comparison to a prior thermogram for the same foot.

Across the independent method, computer program product, and apparatus claims, the claim coverage is anchored on generating spatially continuous 2D thermograms from discrete temperature data captured via an open platform, detecting prescribed thermogram patterns, and comparing the current thermogram to a prior thermogram of the same foot showing non-ulcerated tissue at the given portion. Ulcer-emergence output is produced based on both the prescribed pattern determination and the comparison.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found