The design of a system for assisting burn and chronic wound diagnosis

Abstract

The process of burn and chronic wound treatment is arduous, costly and prolonged. The possibility of qualitative and quantitative monitoring of the healing process is very important for the optimum management. A properly made diagnosis and related medical procedures can effectively reduce the time and costs of patients' treatment. The system under design will make it easier to assess the level of tissue damage and to choose a proper management plan (surgical procedure, pharmacotherapy, oxygen hyperbaric therapy) and tracking its efficiency and effectivity. The aim of the system, in the first place, will be to record thermal images and related videos in 3D mode, which will allow for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of burn wounds and will make it easier to specify the progress of healing in the case of burn and hard-to-heal wounds. Apart from the infrared and visible band images, the system will also allow for recording and reviewing the results of other tests of the diagnosed patient (e.g. microbiological tests, histopathological examination, histochemical tests) and comparing them at subsequent treatment stages. The paper presents the system structure and the description of its components, particularly the recorder of encircling thermal images/videos. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.