Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care
Calluses are thickened skin areas that develop due to repeated friction, pressure, or other types of irritation. While calluses are usually harmless and formed as a protective surface, they can lead to skin ulceration or infection if left untreated. As calluses are often not clearly visible to the p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/23/9376 |
| _version_ | 1827592063420465152 |
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| author | Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar Rose Raizman Gennadi Saiko |
| author_facet | Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar Rose Raizman Gennadi Saiko |
| author_sort | Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Calluses are thickened skin areas that develop due to repeated friction, pressure, or other types of irritation. While calluses are usually harmless and formed as a protective surface, they can lead to skin ulceration or infection if left untreated. As calluses are often not clearly visible to the patients, and some areas of dead skin can be missed during debridement, accessory tools can be useful in assessment and follow-up. The practical question addressed in this article is whether or not thermal imaging adds value to callus assessment. We have performed a theoretical analysis of the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification. Our analytical calculations show that the temperature drop in the epidermis should be on the order of 0.1 °C for the normal epidermis in hairy skin, 0.9 °C for glabrous skin, and 1.5–2 °C or higher in calluses. We have validated our predictions on gelatin phantoms and demonstrated the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification in two clinical case series. Our experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and support the notion that local skin temperature variations can indicate epidermis thickness variations, which can be used for callus identification. In particular, a surface temperature drop on the order of 0.5 °C or more can be indicative of callus presence, particularly in callus-prone areas. In addition, our analytical calculations and phantom experiments show the importance of ambient temperature measurements during thermographic assessments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:43:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4ae4e654652437394926208ba7e6bee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:43:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4ae4e654652437394926208ba7e6bee2023-12-08T15:25:43ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-11-012323937610.3390/s23239376Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot CareFaraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar0Rose Raizman1Gennadi Saiko2Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, CanadaLawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, CanadaDepartment of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, CanadaCalluses are thickened skin areas that develop due to repeated friction, pressure, or other types of irritation. While calluses are usually harmless and formed as a protective surface, they can lead to skin ulceration or infection if left untreated. As calluses are often not clearly visible to the patients, and some areas of dead skin can be missed during debridement, accessory tools can be useful in assessment and follow-up. The practical question addressed in this article is whether or not thermal imaging adds value to callus assessment. We have performed a theoretical analysis of the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification. Our analytical calculations show that the temperature drop in the epidermis should be on the order of 0.1 °C for the normal epidermis in hairy skin, 0.9 °C for glabrous skin, and 1.5–2 °C or higher in calluses. We have validated our predictions on gelatin phantoms and demonstrated the feasibility of thermographic imaging for callus identification in two clinical case series. Our experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and support the notion that local skin temperature variations can indicate epidermis thickness variations, which can be used for callus identification. In particular, a surface temperature drop on the order of 0.5 °C or more can be indicative of callus presence, particularly in callus-prone areas. In addition, our analytical calculations and phantom experiments show the importance of ambient temperature measurements during thermographic assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/23/9376wound carefoot carecallusdebridementclinical thermography |
| spellingShingle | Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar Rose Raizman Gennadi Saiko Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care Sensors wound care foot care callus debridement clinical thermography |
| title | Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care |
| title_full | Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care |
| title_fullStr | Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care |
| title_short | Utility of Thermographic Imaging for Callus Identification in Wound and Foot Care |
| title_sort | utility of thermographic imaging for callus identification in wound and foot care |
| topic | wound care foot care callus debridement clinical thermography |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/23/9376 |
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