System for screening the skin condition of the plantar surface of the feet

Inventors

Goldish, Gary D. • Hansen, Andrew • Nickel, Eric

Assignees

University of Minnesota Twin Cities • US Department of Veterans Affairs • University of Minnesota System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel approach means of screening foot skin condition of patients at risk for foot tissue breakdown, such as persons with diabetes, through the provision of a remote screening device that can be used in telemedicine or home self-monitoring approaches. The invention would record high resolution images of the bottom of the patient's feet, without artifacts or other distortions that might arise from images taken of feet that have been compressed through standing and the like. These images could immediately be viewed by the patient and/or electronically submitted to a medical facility where clinicians could screen the images for signs of tissue breakdown.

Core Innovation

The present invention relates to a novel approach means of screening foot skin condition of patients at risk for foot tissue breakdown, such as persons with diabetes, through the provision of a remote screening device configured for telemedicine or home self-monitoring approaches. The device records high resolution images of the bottom of the patient's feet without artifacts or distortions caused by compression of the feet during standing or other common imaging methods. These images can be immediately viewed by the patient and electronically submitted to medical facilities for clinical screening of tissue breakdown.

The background highlights the problem that diabetics and related patients often suffer from foot sores and ulcers but face difficulties in monitoring due to loss of sensation, limited mobility, and decreased vision. Existing methods, such as handheld mirrors or cameras, lack professional image assessment or suffer from instability issues. Other advanced systems are costly, partially obstruct foot views, or acquire images with foot compression leading to artifacts that obscure early signs of tissue problems.

The invention solves the problem of acquiring artifact-free images without foot compression by providing a support frame with a lower extremity support structure that holds the legs and feet elevated and supported in a seated position, stabilizing them and preventing distortions. An image acquisition device is stably retained apart from the lower extremity support to capture clear images. The system is portable, can interface with various electronic devices for telemedicine, and offers real-time image feedback for the patient to review and optimize images before transmission to clinicians.

Claims Coverage

The patent contains one independent claim that defines a system with key structural and functional features to capture artifact-free images of the plantar surface of the feet.

This claim defines a device structurally configured to stabilize the user's legs and feet while positioning the image acquisition device separately to capture clear, undistorted images of the plantar foot surface for screening purposes.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications