Spectroscopic detection of the blanch response at the heel of the foot: a possible diagnostic for stage I pressure ulcers

Elicia M. Kohlenberg; Jeanne Zanca; David M. Brienza; Michelle A. Levasseur; Michael G. Sowa

doi:10.1117/12.628219

14 October 2005 Spectroscopic detection of the blanch response at the heel of the foot: a possible diagnostic for stage I pressure ulcers

Elicia M. Kohlenberg, Jeanne Zanca, David M. Brienza, Michelle A. Levasseur, Michael G. Sowa

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5969, Photonic Applications in Biosensing and Imaging; 59691J (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.628219
Event: Photonics North, 2005, Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Pressure ulcers (sores) can occur when there is constant pressure being applied to tissue for extended periods of time. Immobile people are particularly prone to this problem. Ideally, pressure damage is detected at an early stage, pressure relief is applied and the pressure ulcer is averted. One of the hallmarks of pressure damaged skin is an obliterated blanch response due to compromised microcirculation near the surface of the skin. Visible reflectance spectroscopy can noninvasively probe the blood circulation of the upper layers of skin by measuring the electronic transitions arising from hemoglobin, the primary oxygen carrying protein in blood. A spectroscopic test was developed on a mixed population of 30 subjects to determine if the blanch response could be detected in healthy skin with high sensitivity and specificity regardless of the pigmentation of the skin. Our results suggest that a spectroscopic based blanch response test can accurately detect the blanching of healthy tissue and has the potential to be developed into a screening test for early stage I pressure ulcers.

Citation Download Citation

Elicia M. Kohlenberg, Jeanne Zanca, David M. Brienza, Michelle A. Levasseur, and Michael G. Sowa "Spectroscopic detection of the blanch response at the heel of the foot: a possible diagnostic for stage I pressure ulcers", Proc. SPIE 5969, Photonic Applications in Biosensing and Imaging, 59691J (14 October 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.628219

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