IMPILO-AI: Intelligent Monitoring of Prosthesis conditions In LOwer limb amputees - Advancing Innovation

假肢对下肢残疾的人来说是一个巨大的帮助，但是每天戴着它也不是没有问题的。高温、潮湿和摩擦会刺激腿部敏感的皮肤，导致刺激和疼痛。通常，这会导致炎症和开放性伤口，这些伤口非常难以愈合，并且可能会感染。许多人干脆放弃使用他们的假肢，往往没有通知他们的医生。糖尿病患者的风险更大，因为他们通常血液循环不良，腿部感觉更差，抵抗感染的能力更差。即使在今天，避免皮肤问题的推荐方法是定期检查，无论是在家里还是在诊所就诊时。不幸的是，问题的早期阶段并不总是容易发现的，特别是对于行动不便和其他健康挑战的人。临床访问通常不经常发生，所以当溃疡被发现时，已经太晚了，无法轻易治疗。通常需要六个月以上的时间才能愈合，可能需要住院治疗。IMPILO是一种新型的监测系统，它可以在使用者佩戴假肢时持续监测腿部周围的温度和湿度，并将这些信息与佩戴者的活动和移动性相结合。它通过移动的手机上的应用程序将其信息安全匿名地传输到云端，在那里进行分析，然后传回给用户或他们的医生。如果它看起来像是出了问题，或者即使它可能出错，它也会让他们知道。IMPILO是在Innovate UK资助的早期项目中开发的，并已在贝尔法斯特的一个小团体中完成了首次试验。该试验成功地表明，该系统按预期工作，但没有考虑如何使用它来防止问题。通过这个新项目，IMPILO将成为一个完全认证的数字健康解决方案，使用机器学习提供信息，帮助个人及其临床支持，更好地决定他们的肢体健康和护理。当这一目标实现后，IMPILO将进入第二阶段的临床试验，在整个英国有更多的人参与。本试验将研究使用IMPILO提供的信息确定问题是否可能发生以及是否可以避免的益处。

A prosthetic leg is a tremendous aid to people living with lower limb loss, but wearing it every day is not without its problems. Heat, moisture and friction can irritate the leg's sensitive skin, causing irritation and soreness. Often, this leads to inflammation and open wounds which are extremely difficult to heal and which may become infected. Many people simply give up using their prosthesis, often without informing their doctor. People with diabetes are more at risk, because they often have poor circulation, have less feeling in their leg, and are less able to fight infection.Even today, the recommended way of avoiding skin problems is regular inspection, both at home and during visits to the clinic. Unfortunately, the early stages of a problem are not always easy to spot, especially for people with poor mobility and other health challenges. Clinical visits usually don't happen very often, so by the time an ulcer is seen it is too late to treat easily. Typically it will take over six months to heal, and may require hospital admission for treatment.IMPILO is a new monitoring system which continuously monitors the temperature and humidity around the leg when the user is wearing the prosthesis, and combines this information with the wearer's activity and mobility. It communicates its information --- securely and anonymously --- via an app on a mobile phone to the cloud, where it is analysed and then passed back to the users or their doctors. If it looks like something is wrong, or even if it may go wrong, it will let them know.IMPILO was developed in an earlier project funded by Innovate UK and has completed its first trial with a small group in Belfast. This trial successfully showed that the system worked as expected, but did not look at how it can be used to prevent problems. With this new project, IMPILO will become a fully certified digital health solution, using machine learning to supply information to help the individuals, and their clinical support, make better decisions about their limb health and care. When this has been achieved, IMPILO will move forward into a second phase of clinical trials, with a larger number of people, throughout the UK. This trial will study the benefits of using the information provided by IMPILO to determine if a problem is likely to occur, and if it can be avoided.