Oxygenation based perfusion assessment of diabetic foot ulcers using a breath-hold paradigm

Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) are responsible for 20% of diabetic-related hospitalization and 85% of diabetes related amputations. In DFUs the primary factor affecting healing is an adequate oxygen supply to the wound. However, the gold standard approach for assessing DFUs is by evaluating the reduction of wound size over a four-week period. In this study, we investigate the potential of altered breathing patterns as a technique to assess localized oxygenated perfusion in DFUs as a measure of healing potential. A continuous wave (CW), non-contact, near infrared optical scanner (NIROS) was used to conduct NIR based spectroscopic imaging at dual discrete wavelengths (729nm and 799nm) on DFUs with 7mW of maximum optical power. Subjects were imaged at discrete time points and dynamically utilizing an altered breathing paradigm (i.e. breath-hold) to measure the relative oxy- (ΔHbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (ΔHbR) changes in normal and DFU scenarios. Results show that in normal individuals, ΔHbO/ΔHbR changes at all points of the foot because of altered breathing patterns are synchronous; whereas in the DFU scenario changes in hemodynamic parameters are asynchronous. This indicates that under normal circumstances, oxygenated perfusion changes are consistent and uniform at all points of the foot as opposed to the DFU scenario’s inconsistent oxygenated perfusion. Altered breathing paradigms may serve as a useful tool in assessing localized sub-surface oxygenated perfusion in regions around the wound, and help clinicians better cater the treatment process.