HyperMed's New Technology Predicts Healing Potential Of Diabetic Ulcers - May Prevent Devastating Diabetic Limb Amputations

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 20 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PST

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Today the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) announced that HyperMed's OxyVu™ imaging system may predict healing of diabetic ulcers. OxyVu™ uses proprietary technology pioneered by HyperMed in the first medical application of hyperspectral imaging.

According to the APMA, HyperMed's "new technology predicts healing potential of diabetic ulcers: (the) diabetic wound indicator could significantly reduce diabetic amputation rates." As stated in the APMA press release, "every 30 seconds, a lower-limb amputation is performed somewhere across the globe due to complications related to diabetes. But soon, just 15 seconds in a physician's office may be all it takes to help prevent a devastating diabetic amputation."

Findings of a National Institutes of Health-funded study on Hyperspectral Technology Cutaneous Oxygen Monitoring (HTCOM) will be presented as two posters at the APMA's 96th Annual Scientific Meeting in Honolulu from July 24-27. Interim data in a double-blinded study showed 100% accuracy that OxyVu™ can predict whether an ulcer will heal in six months, using the standard course of therapy. More recent analysis on the complete data set confirms this high level of accuracy. Publication of the study's final results is expected in the fall of 2008.

The APMA announcement stated that according to Aksone Nouvong, a site investigator and an assistant clinical professor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, "hyperspectral imaging will quickly become one of the most important tools physicians can use to assist diabetic patients in wound care treatment. One of the most important findings we have discovered while studying HTCOM is that if a patient already has an existing foot wound, this technology can tell right away whether or not the ulcer has the ability to heal on its own." Non-healing ulcers are a leading cause of lower limb amputations.

OxyVu™ is the only FDA-approved medical hyperspectral system to non-invasively and quantitatively assess tissue oxygenation in patients with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. The product "effectively measures real-time oxygen levels surrounding the foot ulcerations commonly seen in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes" states the APMA. "The measurements taken with HTCOM are calculated in approximately 15 seconds, and can then be used to determine the most successful treatment plan for that particular wound."

According to the APMA announcement, the technology may make its way into physicians' offices across the country after the completed research on HTCOM is released in September. "Many lower-limb amputations currently being performed have to be done at an unnecessarily high level �" often because the physician has no way of knowing the exact spot at which to perform an effective amputation," Dr. Nouvong commented in her interview with the APMA. "A patient who might have had an entire foot amputated may be found to only need to have their big toe done after being assessed with HTCOM."

Dr. Lee Rogers, DPM, Director of the Amputation Prevention Center at Broadlawns Medical Center and a clinical user of the OxyVu™ system, commented "the use of OxyVu™ hyperspectral imaging truly benefits clinical practice, providing real-time data on tissue oxygenation that allows clinicians to diagnose peripheral arterial disease, predict wound healing and determine level of amputation."

The American Podiatric Medical Association was founded in 1912 and is the nation's leading professional society for foot and ankle specialists. The association has component societies in 53 locations in the U.S. and its territories, with a membership of 11,500 doctors of podiatric medicine.
To review the full APMA statement visit http://www.apma.org/mediaroom.

About Hyperspectral Technology and HyperMed

Hyperspectral Technology (HT) is a novel medical imaging modality that combines advanced optics with sophisticated mathematical algorithms to identify subtle changes in composition from reflected light. The technology was developed initially by the Department of Defense for use in aerial espionage and satellite surveillance.

HyperMed's OxyVu™ system measures oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin to enable clinicians to assess tissue metabolism. The company's initial focus is on complications of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. Through a simple thirty-second non-invasive scan, a physician gains valuable insights that aid in planning of advanced treatment interventions and surgery, which may lead to earlier interventions, reduced level of amputations and faster case resolutions.

more information about HyperMed and the OxyVu™ system, please visit the company's website at http://www.hypermed-inc.com.