Invention:
The technology utilizes a smartphone as a point of care diagnostic to identify species of bacteria in a wound via light scattering.
Background:
The cost for chronic wound care, which is estimated to be $25 billion annually, is mainly due to improper selection of antibiotic treatment and the need to treat an infection quickly. The current method of diagnosing infections is a tissue biopsy and swab culture, a process that can take hours to complete and requires additional resources. In general, if a bacterial species is unknown, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, which increases the risk of drug resistance.
Applications:
- Medical devices
- Smart phone apps
- Wound care companies
Advantages:
- Rapid and accurate identification of bacterial species from a wound
- A non-destructive and mobile medium
- Potential to empower a patient to notify a physician and receive the correct treatment without waiting for lab results
Status: issued U.S. patent #11,137,384
