A game-changing laser device for chronic wounds
Chronic wounds which haven’t healed for three months are extremely prone to infections of biofilm-producing antibiotic-resistant bacteria that hamper the healing process through the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors. Importantly, chronic wounds may expand into surrounding healthy tissues, requiring more drastic measures, like amputation, to ensure patient survival.
A robotic laser to treat chronic wounds
Existing treatments for chronic wounds have remained largely unchanged over the past 50 years, while recent approaches have proven inefficient. To address this issue, the EU-funded LASER-HEAL project developed a device that delivers proprietary laser technology to break down persistent bacteria and contribute to the healing process. The technology relies on low-level laser therapy (LLLT), a light-based solution previously used to stimulate tissue repair mechanisms in wounds. “The innovation in our treatment method is a patented configuration of tightly focused laser light and opto-mechanics that delivers thermal sterilisation,” explains project coordinator and CEO of VULCUR MEDTECH, Janus Beierholm. The device itself is small (approximately one cubic foot) and comprises a six-axis robotic arm capable of moving a tool with four to eight laser outputs. Equipped with two infrared cameras and a set of distance-measuring lasers, the device can detect the contours and depth of the wound automatically, requiring minimal input from the operator. The device can treat both accessible and difficult-to-reach wound sites, without coming into contact with the patient. The approach is safe and low cost, and each session lasts only 30 minutes. Based on customer interviews, scientists expect that an average of 10 treatments over 10 weeks will be required.
Future prospects for LASER-HEAL proprietary technology
Beierholm emphasises: “Bacteria have a ceiling temperature for survival; simply heating the biofilm on a chronic wound is not enough.” The LASER-HEAL team determined the time and energy required to kill bacteria while leaving human cells intact. Using a chronic wound model that closely mimics the environment of a chronic wound, LASER-HEAL has shown high efficacy (99 %) in killing the clinically relevant bacterial species Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, normally encountered in biofilms. Killing was achieved in a single treatment, and no damage to adjacent human cells could be detected. The patented LASER-HEAL technology provides, for the first time, cleaning of the chronic wound in three dimensions. Importantly, the approach doesn’t rely on customised dressings or growth factors – it’s a one-size-fits-all treatment that can be carried out by a single nurse. Moreover, it doesn’t target bacteria with antibiotics and anti-biofilm agents, thereby preventing the emergence of drug resistance. Following the Food and Drug Administration approval in 2020, partners plan to test the technology in three wound-care clinics in California. With the appropriate funding, they will commence product development so as to reach the market within the next 4 years. With a view to the future, Beierholm is confident that this “dedicated and safe treatment option for chronic wounds will relieve patients of great pain, save the hospitals a great deal of money, and prevent amputations.”
Keywords
LASER-HEAL, laser, chronic wound, biofilm, wound repair, wound care, healing