The partnership project aims to develop high accuracy imaging technology to improve skin and wound assessments, specifically targeting patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which affects more than 236 million people worldwide, and critical limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI).
The innovation will help clinicians to assess circulation problems more accurately and effectively, particularly in patients of colour, helping to reduce hospital re-admissions for chronic limb-threatening conditions.
The project was awarded almost £300,000 Innovate UK funding as part of the Biomedical Catalyst, which supports small and medium sized businesses to develop and test innovative health and care solutions across life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health.
PAD is caused by narrowed arteries in the legs, leading to pain and potential complications. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Current assessment methods often rely on visible signs, which can be challenging to detect on darker skin tones. The new technology aims to provide unbiased, accurate imaging for all skin colours, addressing healthcare disparities.
Charmaine Childs, Professor of Clinical Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Promoting equality in healthcare to improve the lives of patients is what we strive for. One area where more work is needed is to reduce skin-tone bias when assessing ethnically diverse populations. For too long we have been making judgements through a white skin lens but now with IUK funding the step change we need to move optical imaging studies and clinical feasibility testing into the commercial domain has become a reality.
“Our partnership with PyrOptik, supported by clinicians at the Sheffield Vascular Institute, is an exciting step forward, bringing non-invasive optical imaging technology to the centre of patient-focused therapeutic interventions for people with peripheral arterial disease.”
Iain Scott, Founder and Director of PyrOptik and project lead, said: “PyrOptik has a passion for accurate quantitative metrology solutions. The IUK funding allows us to collaborate with Sheffield Hallam to bring our metrology expertise into the medical sector with the aim to reduce skin tone dependent vascular assessment disparities. We are delighted to be working with Prof. Childs and her team which will bring a vast amount of expertise and knowledge to the measurement challenge.”
The 18-month collaboration between Sheffield Hallam and PyrOptik, brings together academic expertise with the non-contact measurement technology industry to develop more inclusive imaging.
This research programme aligns with the vision of the recently launched Sheffield Multimodality Imaging Centre (SMIC), an environment created to support researchers, businesses and healthcare providers, and collaborations to grow.
