Handheld Devices Help See Bacteria on the Wound

This article examines Handheld Devices Help See Bacteria on the Wound. It presents the main facts, practical implications, and key points in a clearer, easier-to-follow format.

Understanding Handheld Devices Help See Bacteria on the Wound

One of the real problems with harmful bacteria is that we cannot see them with the naked eye - this can be a special problem for doctors who are examining chronic wounds due to infection. That's why MolecuLight i: X is created. This device allows doctors to see where the bacteria are present in real time and then adjusts the treatment accordingly.

Users start using the i: X device to get close to the wound under normal light. This image did not initially indicate where the bacteria existed but it served as a reference for the healing process of the wound.

The light will turn off, and the device will now capture a wound with harmless purple light. This condition makes healthy skin emit green fluorescence on the i: X screen, and the bacterial population emits red fluorescence. This device also shows the exact contour of the wound, and can calculate its area - as with reference images, this information can be used to track the healing process over time.

There is no need to add any contrast agent, nor does it have any direct contact with the wound. When you know where bacteria are present, doctors can focus on necessary treatment, monitoring and analyzing wounds during treatment.

In a clinical trial that took place in Toronto, the use of the device also reported that it could make wounds heal nine times faster than conventional care.

MolecuLight i: X is currently approved for use in Canada and the European Union, but not in the US.