Eden Medical, Inc. is pleased to submit this Phase 1 SBIR proposal to develop the """"""""Infrared Eyes"""""""" (iREyes) imager system, an affordable and powerful mobile health (mhealth) tool for healthcare. The hand-held iREyes system will acquire both thermal and visible spectrum imagery to quantify healing via foot thermal indexing methodology. The iREyes will offer a user-friendly product with a significantly lower cost (<$500) than today's existing infrared microbolometer technology. The iREyes will also identify hot spots associated with repetitive stress to reduce ulceration risk. Diabetic foot wounds are common, complex and costly. Foot areas that are likely to ulcerate are associated with increased local skin temperature due to inflammation and enzymatic autolysis of tissue. Inflammation is characterized by the cardinal signs including redness, swelling, and heat. iREyes will directly quantify inflammation pathophysiology through contralateral and regional foot index image analysis leveraging work being developed under the Phase 2 NIDDK funded SBIR grant no. 5R44DK083782-02 the Diabetic Foot Imaging Scanner (DFIS). Such imaging assessment will allow wound care physicians to provide better assessment of chronic diabetic foot wounds improving treatment decisions and decreasing the number of infected wounds and corresponding amputations.
