Device and method for examining a diabetic foot

• US 20050097762A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medavinci Development B.V.
• Original Assignee: Medavinci Development B.V.
• Inventors: Biesbrouck, Gerardus Majella, Den Ouden, Arie Huibrecht
• Application Number:
  US11/008,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097762A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/3.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1074 Foot measuring devices

Abstract

The invention describes a device and a method for examining the sole of a foot. This invention can be used, for example, for the early detection of neuropathy and/or small wounds on the sole of the feet of diabetic patients. The device comprises a sending means for transmitting images of the sole to, for example, a doctor in a hospital. This enables rapid and simple recording of an image of the sole at home, and using relatively simple means, its transmission to, and examination by an expert at a remote location.

Claims

1. A device for recording an image of the sole of a foot, comprising image-recording means for making an electronic image of the sole of the foot, wherein the device comprises sending means for sending the electronic image to a remote monitor.

2. The device according to claim 1, which comprises a transparent foot supporting surface.

3. The device according to claim 1, in which the electronic image comprises a color photograph of the sole of the foot.

4. The device according to claim 1, in which the device comprises a connection for a television and/or a computer.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image-recording means comprises tuning means to permit zooming in or zooming out the image of the sole.

6. The device according to claim 1, which comprises a regulating device, that communicates with the image-recording means, in order to control the image-recording means remotely.

7. The device according to claim 1, which comprises switching means, that activate the image-recording means after pressure has been exerted thereupon.

8. The device according to claim 1, in which the sending means sends a digital image of the sole by way of a digital network.

9. A monitoring system comprising:

(a) a communication network;

(b) a recording device according to claim 1 configured to create an electronic image of a sole of a foot and to send said electronic image into said communication network;

(c) a monitoring device configured to (i) receive said electronic image from said communication network, and (ii) display said electronic image.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said monitoring device comprises memory for storing data, said monitoring device being configured to

(i) store electronic images in said memory;

and

(ii) display said electronic image and to display an image of a foot sole received earlier from a foot sole recording device.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein said recording device is configured to send to said monitoring device information that identifies:

(i) said recording device; and

/or

(ii) a user of said recording device.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said monitoring device is configured to file and/or store said electronic image together with other electronic images being associated with the same identifying information.

13. A method for examining the sole of a foot in a subject, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating an electronic image of the sole of the subject using the device and the image-recording means of claim 1;

(b) sending the electronic image to a remote monitor;

(c) examining the sole by viewing the image on the monitor.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the examining further comprises:

(d) detecting or identifying any small wounds present on the sole as detected in said image;

(e) comparing the image of said sole with an image of the sole of the foot of said subject examined at a previous examination.

15. A method according to claim 13, configured so that said subject can monitor the image on a visual display unit.

16. A method according to claim 13, which comprises the step of positioning of the foot relative to the image-recording means.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the subject has diabetes.

18. A method for examining a diabetic foot, comprising carrying out the method of claim 13 on a the foot or feet of a diabetic subject.

19. A method for examining a diabetic foot, comprising carrying out the method of claim 14 on the foot or feet of a diabetic subject.

20. A method for examining a diabetic foot, comprising using the device of claim 1.