Method and apparatus for indicating the emergence of an ulcer

Abstract

A method of monitoring a patient's foot forms a thermogram of the sole of at least one foot of the patient, and determines whether the thermogram presents at least one of a plurality of prescribed patterns. The method also compares the thermogram against a prior thermogram of the same foot, and produces output information indicating the emergence of an ulcer on a given portion on the at least one foot as a function of 1) whether the thermogram is determined to present the at least one pattern, and 2) the comparison with the prior thermogram, which shows non-ulcerated tissue at the given location.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A method of predicting emergence of an ulcer on at least one foot of a patient, wherein the at least one foot has a bottom surface, the method comprising:
 positioning the at least one foot within a closed platform,   the closed platform having a plurality of temperature sensors, the closed platform comprising a flexible material configured to conform substantially to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the at least one foot, said conforming causing the plurality of temperature sensors to make contact with the at least a portion of the bottom of the at least one foot;   generating, using the plurality of temperature sensors, a plurality of discrete temperature data values of the at least one foot after said positioning the at least one foot within the closed platform;   ascertaining a level of physical activity of the patient; and   determining whether the plurality of discrete temperature data values presents at least one of a plurality of prescribed patterns indicative of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the at least one foot,   said determining comprising:
 evaluating, using the plurality of discrete temperature data values and an ulcer prediction model, whether a temperature variation of the at least one foot exceeds a pre-determined threshold, the ulcer prediction model being a function of the level of physical activity of the patient, and 
 producing, as a function of evaluating, output information predicting emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the at least one foot of the patient. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method as defined by  claim 4  further comprising receiving an additional set of discrete temperature data values representing temperature values of a second foot of the at least one foot, said evaluating comprising using the additional plurality of discrete temperature data values to evaluate whether a temperature variation of the at least one foot exceeds the pre-determined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the closed platform comprises a sock. 
     
     
         7 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the closed platform comprises an insole. 
     
     
         8 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the closed platform comprises an accelerometer, gyroscope, or both an accelerometer and gyroscope to detect movement of the closed platform. 
     
     
         9 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the at least one foot comprise an arch, the flexible material configured to conform the flexible material to the arch of the at least one foot. 
     
     
         10 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are formed in an array. 
     
     
         11 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are not formed in an array. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the at least one foot of the patient comprises one foot, further wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures being between two locations on one foot of the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the at least one foot of the patient comprises two feet of the patient, further wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures being between two contralateral locations on the two feet of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined by  claim 4  further comprising making temporally successive thermal scans of one foot of the at least one foot,
 wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures at substantially the same location of the one foot across the sequential thermal scans of the one foot. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined by  claim 4  further comprising forwarding the plurality of discrete temperature data values of the at least one foot to one or more remote computing devices,
 the one or more remote computing devices performing the act of determining whether the plurality of discrete temperature data values presents at least one of the plurality of prescribed patterns. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein predicting emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer includes predicting the location of emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the at least one foot. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined by  claim 4  wherein the at least one foot comprises a first foot and a second foot,
 said evaluating comprising evaluating, using the plurality of discrete temperature data values and an ulcer prediction model, whether a temperature variation between the first foot and second foot exceeds the pre-determined threshold, 
 said producing comprising producing, as a function of evaluating, output information predicting emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the first foot of the patient or on the second foot of the patient. 
 
     
     
         18 . A system for predicting emergence of an ulcer on at least one foot of a patient, wherein the at least one foot has a bottom surface, the system comprising:
 a closed platform configured to receive the at least one foot of the patient and having a plurality of temperature sensors, the closed platform comprising a flexible material carrying the temperature sensors, the closed platform configured to conform the flexible material substantially to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the at least one foot to contact the plurality of temperature sensors with the at least a portion of the bottom of the at least one foot, the plurality of temperature sensors configured to generate a plurality of discrete temperature data values of the at least one foot after the closed platform receives the at least one foot, the closed platform further comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or both an accelerometer and gyroscope configured to produce motion data indicative of a level of physical activity of the patient, the closed platform further comprising a communication interface configured to communicate with a communication network; and   one or more processors configured to be in communication with the closed platform via the communication interface to receive the plurality of discrete temperature data values of the at least one foot of the patient and the motion data, said one or more processors configured to determine whether the plurality of discrete temperature data values presents at least one of a plurality of prescribed patterns indicative of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the at least one foot, said processor configured to determine by:
 evaluating, using the plurality of discrete temperature data values and an ulcer prediction model, whether a temperature variation of the at least one foot exceeds a pre-determined threshold, the ulcer prediction model being a function of the level of physical activity as specified by the motion data; and 
 when the temperature variation is evaluated to exceed the pre-determined threshold, producing output information predicting emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer on the at least one foot of the patient. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the closed platform comprises a sock or an insole. 
     
     
         20 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the at least one foot comprise an arch, the flexible material configured to conform the flexible material to the arch of the at least one foot. 
     
     
         21 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are formed in an array. 
     
     
         22 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are not formed in an array. 
     
     
         23 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the one or more processors comprises means for evaluating whether a temperature variation of the at least one foot exceeds a pre-determined threshold. 
     
     
         24 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the one or more processors comprises means for producing the output information. 
     
     
         25 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the communication interface comprises a wireless interface with the network. 
     
     
         26 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of temperature sensors comprises a plurality of temperature sensitive resistors. 
     
     
         27 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures being between two locations on one foot of the patient. 
     
     
         28 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures being between two contralateral locations on the two feet of the patient. 
     
     
         29 . The system as defined by  claim 18  wherein the plurality of prescribed patterns comprises the difference in temperatures at substantially the same location of one foot across time.