Low intensity pulsed ultrasound to treat chronic wounds caused by DTI in prosthetic wearers

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Project Description Wound healing itself is relatively well understood, however the evolution and progression pathway associated with deep tissue injury in prosthesis wearers, is less well defined. Meanwhile the impact of DTI and potential chronic wound development on the individual is heightened by an absence of available treatments, with advice dominated by approaches that severely impact mobility and independence. Ultrasound imaging is unique in its ability to image the soft tissues, with sufficient sensitivity to accurately distinguish tissue boundaries and even muscle fibre orientation. The dependence of ultrasound wave propagation within tissue as a viscoelastic medium means that tissue stiffness information is also readily recovered, using either elastography (strain) or shear wave imaging. In the future it is expected that ultrasound imaging will play an important role in detecting early-stage alterations in tissue microsctructure indicative of DTI initiation and existence. The proposed work builds upon existing academic and clinical expertise in experimental medical imaging, soft tissue mechanics, computational modelling and lower limb prosthetic socket design to investigate the feasibility of enhancing socket design by understanding the evolution of Deep Tissue Injury. The project will develop techniques that will utilise newly emerging flexible ultrasound technologies capable of delivering pulsed-ultrasound through a wearable patch. The proposed PhD research is well aligned with the health engineering strategy of this CDT and fits well with the strategic activities within the University of Strathclyde. The proposed PhD research aims to generate a knowledge base that will play an important role in the development of innovative medical solutions that are becoming critical to sustain the quality of life of an aging UK society. Additionally, the prospective project is within the preventive healthcare domain and has the potential to allow for cost reduction in stretched financial resources of NHS and promotes earlier and accurate targeted treatment with prevention of injury.