A system for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers using led irradiation and natural latex

Abstract

Introduction: We developed and tested a new system for inducing the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. The system relies on the regenerative properties of its two components: an insole with a sheet of natural latex and a device that contains a matrix of light emitting diodes with wavelength of 635 nm. Methods: The electronic and latex based devices were developed, and a four weeks test was performed in one control group (CG) of five ulcers and one experimental group (EG) of eight ulcers. The CG was treated with a standard approach, based on a silver-releasing foam dressing, and the EG was treated with the system under test. For each ulcer, an index for quantifying the percentage ulcer recovery, named CRU(%), has been calculated; a CRU(%) = 0% means no healing, and a CRU(%) = 100% means total healing. Results: There were statistically significant increases of CRU(%) of 51.8% (p = 0.022), for the CG, and of 78.4% (p < 0.001), for the EG. The increase in the EG was higher than the increase in the CG, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The results showed that the proposed method had, for these particular sets of ulcers, faster healing rates, than for the standard method. Conclusion: The results hint that the proposed method seems promising as a future treatment method. However, the technique must undergo further testing before it can be considered for extensive clinical applications.

Characterization of the Cicatrization Process in Diabetic Foot Ulcers Based on the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species

“…The latex sheet has been made with centrifuged 60% latex biomaterial [15, 16]. In the manufacturing process, the latex was placed in a glass or an acrylic Petri dish, previously cleaned and dried, where the latex biomaterial was spread to form a thin layer, covering the dish surface.…”

“…In the manufacturing process, the latex was placed in a glass or an acrylic Petri dish, previously cleaned and dried, where the latex biomaterial was spread to form a thin layer, covering the dish surface. The Petri dish was not left horizontally in the oven—it was entirely rested in a vertical position so that any latex excess would be drained [15, 16]. This procedure led to a more transparent sheet.…”

“…The latex sheets were tested at the Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Institute of Physics at the University of Brasilia, to verify if it does not cause excessive attenuation or significant changes in the spectral characteristics of the light irradiated by the LED matrix [15]. The results showed that the sheet causes a reduction of approximately half in the intensity of the light but did not affect its spectrum [15, 16]. …”

“…The LED circuit, associated with latex, was also investigated by Reis [15, 16], who compared the treatment of four participants with silver foam dressing with a treatment of six other participants with latex in association with the LED light for 30 minutes. The clinical findings were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, demonstrating that the results obtained by the experimental group were better than those obtained by the control group; the results suggested that the system proposed is a promising treatment option for diabetic foot ulcers, due to its healing properties.…”

SIM2PeD Intelligent monitoring system for prevention of diabetic foot

“…Diabetic foot is an ulceration, infection or destruction of the deep tissues and is associated with neuropathies. The foot is one of the first parts of the body to be affected by diabetes mellitus (Nunes et al, 2016;Cubas et al, 2013).…”