3D imager could improve wound treatment process

This is the belief of Oxford University spin-out Eykona Technologies, which has developed a product based on a combination of photometry and stereo imaging.

The company expects to have a customised touch-screen camera and proprietary clinical measurement software for standard PCs on the market early next year. Dr Peter Bannister, product development manager for Eykona, said there will be a large demand for high-tech wound-monitoring products because current approaches that rely on tracing paper and cotton buds do not give accurate volumetric information.  

He said: ‘Currently, the NHS spend on wound care is £3bn per year. Last time I spoke to someone from the NHS…their overall budget was £108bn so we’re looking at 2-3 per cent of the entire NHS budget being spent on people with chronic wounds.’

The Eykona camera incorporates several light sources for illuminating each shot angle from multiple directions, plus photometric and stereo imaging sensors.

Bannister said photometric imaging, which recovers shape from shadows and shading, is ideal for attaining ‘local detail’ such as pores, hairs and fingerprints. Whereas stereo imaging, he said, is better at capturing ‘lower-frequency’ information such as overall structure.