Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention System (DFUPS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Innovative System for the Early Identification, Monitoring, Evaluation and Diagnosis of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
IRAS ID
160184
Contact name
Michael Edmonds
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Neuropathy (nerve damage to the feet) is a common complication of diabetes. The inability of people with diabetes to detect pain puts them at risk of foot ulcer (skin breakdown). If not recognised and treated early, ulcers can become infected and in some cases lead to gangrene and even amputation.
Prevention of foot ulcers in people with diabetes is essential. Before the foot ulcer occurs, the skin becomes inflamed, hot and tender. Skin thermometry can detect areas of the foot which are at risk of ulcer. A recent study showed that patients in whom foot temperatures were measured regularly together with routine foot care had significantly fewer ulcers compared to patients who received only routine foot care.
Although skin temperature measurement is considered a good method to predict the development of a foot ulcer, it has not become widely available. At present only devices that measure temperature at a single spot are used.
Recently a group of scientists from University of South Wales, the National Physical Laboratory and Photometrix have made a new camera that can take a special picture of the foot to show the different temperatures of the skin of the foot (thermal map image). The camera uses the technique of infrared thermometry, by which it can detect the heat of the body.
We plan to measure the temperature of the feet of healthy volunteers with the new infrared camera and with a hand-held thermometer. These measurements will allow us to compare the readings of the two instruments. They will also give us information on how the temperature is scattered on the different parts of the foot. It is intended that this investigation will then be followed by an investigation of people with diabetes at risk of foot ulcer to evaluate its benefit preventing it.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0070
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion