Assessment of diabetic foot ulcers with diffuse near infrared methodology

A pilot human study was conducted in order to demonstrate the efficacy of diffuse near infrared (NIR) methodology for in vivo assessment of diabetic foot ulcers. Nine patients were evaluated using diffuse NIR methodology to assess their wound healing process over time. Absorption and scattering coefficients of the wound site were determined over time and compared to those of a control site. The results validate the model wound healing developed during our animal studies of wound healing with NIR, and indicate that differences in optical properties can be seen between wounds with different healing behaviors.