A modular fluorescent camera unit for wound imaging

TL;DR

A portable fluorescent camera unit is developed to study pH and nitric oxide in wound healing, revealing patterns that could improve treatment strategies.

Contribution

The modular fluorescent camera unit enables real-time, high-resolution imaging of wound biomarkers with machine learning analysis.

Findings

pH levels show a concentric gradient in wounds, peaking at the center and stabilizing at the edges.

Nitric oxide structures decrease in size but increase in intensity during healing, predicting healing progress.

The system's biomarker data can inform future wound healing studies and treatment optimization.

Abstract

Advanced imaging tools are revolutionizing the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of medical conditions, offering unprecedented insights into live cell behavior and biophysical markers. We introduce a modular, hand-held fluorescent microscope featuring rapid set-up and sub-millimeter resolution for real-time biological analysis. We apply our system to map pH and nitric oxide (NO), biomarkers central to wound healing, in subcutaneous wounds. Using machine learning to cluster pH reveals spatiotemporal trends, including a concentric gradient peaking at the center and stabilization at the wound edge. NO clustering shows high-concentration structures that decrease in size but intensify as healing progresses from hemostasis to proliferation, enabling prediction of the healing day and re-epithelialization. These biomarker mappings offer insights poised to inform future wound healing studies. This research lays the groundwork for integrating the modular imaging unit with bioelectronic devices in closed-loop feedback systems, using machine learning to guide optimal wound treatment and accelerate healing.

A modular fluorescent camera unit is developed and provides insights into the spatiotemporal role of biomarkers (pH and Nitric Oxide) in wound healing

Figures