US 12,285,265 B2
Ipsilateral ulcer and pre-ulcer detection method and apparatus
Brian Jude Petersen, Somerville, MA (US); and David Robert Linders, Waltham, MA (US)
Assigned to Podimetrics, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed by Podimetrics, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/235,217.
Application 18/235,217 is a continuation of application No. 16/653,456, filed on Oct. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,771,363.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/752,589, filed on Oct. 30, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/745,925, filed on Oct. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0389858 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/01 (2006.01); A61B 5/107 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/447 (2013.01) [A61B 5/015 (2013.01); A61B 5/70 (2013.01); A61B 5/7275 (2013.01); A61B 5/7282 (2013.01); A61B 5/0008 (2013.01); A61B 5/0075 (2013.01); A61B 5/1074 (2013.01); A61B 2560/0252 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0271 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting emergence of a foot ulcer or a foot pre-ulcer, the method comprising:
thermally communicating the bottom of a single foot with a modality comprising a body having a base with a top surface having a receiving region configured to receive the bottom of a single foot, the receiving region having a plurality of temperature sensors in communication with the top surface of the receiving region, the plurality of temperature sensors being within the receiving region;
activating the temperature sensors of the modality to ascertain a current temperature at each of a set of different locations of the bottom of the foot, the current temperatures being ascertained after the foot is positioned in the receiving region of the base and in contact with the top surface of the base, wherein activating the temperature sensors producing a set of temperature values with each location having one associated temperature value;
producing a distribution of temperature values using the set of temperature values, the distribution having an interpercentile range between or including one or both the zero percentile and the one hundred percentile of the set of temperature values, wherein the interpercentile range comprises a temperature value difference between the temperatures at two different percentiles;
comparing the interpercentile range of temperatures to a threshold value; and
producing electronic output information having information relating to the emergence of an ulcer or pre-ulcer when the interpercentile range size equals or exceeds the threshold value.