Project title
建構複雜性軟組織感染性疾病之遠紅外線診斷系統
Internal ID
MOST107-2221-E002-079
Principal Investigator
Start Date
August 1, 2018
End Date
July 31, 2019
Investigators
Organizations
Partner Organizations
Development of Digital Infrared Thermal Image (Diti) System in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections = 建構複雜性軟組織感染性疾病之遠紅外線診斷系統
Description
Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) is a major infectious disease and leads not only to increasing medical cost, but also tremendous morbidity and mortality among the patients. According to the latest Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline for SSTI, the diagnosis is mainly based on physical examination of infected site with the local heat, redness, swelling, and pain. The laboratory tests can include white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will be considered if deep site infection is suspected as a diagnostic or follow-up tool. However, the longitudinal follow up of treatment outcome of SSTI is usually difficult. The reasons include: 1) intra-rater bias; 2) poor consistency if interpreted by different physicians (inter-rater bias); 3) the local infection signs are subjective and hard to be quantified. Even though WBC and CRP can be quantified, they are usually returned to normal range after initial antibiotics treatment and can’t be relied as a single marker to determine treatment duration. For MRI, the evaluation tool suggested by guideline, it may not be available for every hospitals, costly, and still carries the risk for nephrotoxicity. Thus, it may not be suitable as a continuous monitoring tool. Thus, we aim to propose an infrared thermometer system to evaluate the treatment response of SSTI. By quantify the longitudinal change of local temperature, we may provide a non-invasive, portable, and quantified evaluation tool and correlated the finding with the traditional gold standard, such as MRI.The technical threshold of infrared diagnostic system include the methods to objectively define infected site, quantify temperature change and adjust the effects from normal human anatomy (the bony surface or the distribution of artery or veins). The extension of a cross-sectional finding to comparable longitudinal observations also need to conquer the effects by different position of the patients and the observer with time.To overcome the above possible technique gaps, the two-year study aims to develop the infrared system for longitudinal observation and compare with MRI findings. We propose 3D scan as a core technique to link the longitudinal infrared image with serial change of MRI signal. The pilot studies will enroll patients with SSTI in the lower extremities in a tertiary care hospital. The specific study process include:1. Development of transfer registration algorithm on longitudinal infrared images■Development of registration algorithm on longitudinal 3D surface image■Deformation and registration of 2D infrared thermal image and longitudinal 3D surface image2. Quantification analysis algorithm of longitudinal infrared image■Normalization of 2D longitudinal infrared image■Quantification analysis of infection severity on infrared image3. Image fusion algorithm of 2D infrared image and 3D MRI■Registration of 3D surface image and corresponded MRI4. Quantification analysis algorithm of MRI■Registration of longitudinal 3D MRI5. Quantification analysis of infection severity on MRI6. Validation of the infrared quantification index with currently available clinical infection evaluation methods