SBIR Phase I: Instrument to Evaluate Tissue and Circulatory Health

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的目标是评估一种用于早期压疮检测的手持式即时护理仪器的技术可行性。压疮是一种常见的健康问题，在美国大约有230万人受到影响。提高脓肿早期发现的客观性可以促进脓肿的治疗和管理，从而改善预后。在这个项目中，将设计一种仪器，使用市售的传感器，使临床医生能够定量测量发白和红斑，这是早期PU的主要诊断线索。通过应用组织反射光谱学原理，可以独立于患者准确测量白化和红斑。人的肤色。该仪器还将用于测量皮肤的支撑特性，为PU评估提供全面的数据。第一阶段项目的结果预计将证明开发一种低成本设备的可行性，用于快速识别压疮，并在早期阶段进行最有效的治疗。该项目的更广泛影响是解决美国110亿美元的医疗保健问题（pu）。脓毒症的主要危险人群是老年人。预计在未来15年内，老年人口将从4000万增加到8000万。低成本诊断仪器的可用性将改善患者的预后和PU护理的成本。一种可以让护理人员早期客观评估PU存在的工具将通过减少晚期PU来改善患者的预后。它还将通过减少疼痛性溃疡的发生率，帮助维持和改善轮椅或床上的人的生活质量。该技术的财务影响包括为医院、康复中心和长期护理机构节省大量潜在成本。根据我们晚期PU的平均成本为4.3万美元，晚期PU发病率降低5%，平均每年将为机构节省16.6万美元。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project objective is to evaluate the technical feasibility of a hand-held, point-of-care instrument for the detection of early-stage pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers (PUS) are a common healthcare problem that affects approximately 2.3 million people in the US. Improvement in the objectivity of the early detection of PUs can advance PU treatment and management to improve outcomes. In this project an instrument will be designed with commercially available sensors to allow a clinician to quantitatively measure blanching and erythema, the primary diagnostic cues of an early stage PU. By applying the principals of tissue reflectance spectroscopy blanching and erythema can be accurately measured independent of a patient?s skin color. The instrument will also be designed to measure supporting properties of the skin to provide comprehensive data for PU assessment. The results of the Phase I project are expected to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a low-cost device for rapidly identifying pressure ulcers and at an early stage when they can be treated most effectively. The broader impact of this project is the address an $11 billion healthcare problem, PUs, in the United States. The primary at risk population for the condition, PUs, is the elderly. The elderly population is expected to double from 40 million to 80 million within the next 15 years. The availability of a low cost diagnostic instrument will improve patient outcomes and cost of PU care. An instrument that can allow caregivers to evaluate the presence of a PU early and objectively will improve patient outcomes through the reduction of advanced stage PU. It will also help maintain and improve the quality of life for people confined to wheelchairs or beds by reducing the incidence of painful ulcers. The financial impacts of the technology include significant potential cost savings to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long term care facilities. Based on our an average cost of $43K for an advanced stage PU, a 5% reduction in the incidence of advanced-stage PUs will save the average institution $166K/year.