Translational Applications of REIMS in Venous Leg Ulcer Management
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Translational Applications of REIMS Coupled With the Versajet II Hydrosurgical Debridement System and Surgical Laser in Patients with Venous Leg Ulceration
IRAS ID
309453
Contact name
Alun Davies
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Governance and Integrity Team (RGIT), Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Venous ulceration (VLU) describes ulcers in the leg that can be very difficult to heal and cause a lot of pain and suffering to patients. Despite treatment, many ulcers do not heal and, even if they do, they can return. It is not known why some ulcers are particularly resistant to treatment. Understanding this can help personalise treatment to those affected, improving their outcomes; this would ideally be done via immediate testing in the clinic or in theatre with new technology that can help describe the unique characteristics of each wound.
Studying the small chemicals in the wound can provide important information on specific characteristics of patients’ ulcers. One way of doing this is via a technology called mass spectrometry (MS) which has previously been used successfully. However, this technology takes a long time to process and is therefore difficult to realistically use in daily clinical practice.
Newer technology, called rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) can provide the same information as MS much more quickly. REIMS can be used to sample the by-products of certain procedures routinely performed in the NHS. For example, it can be used to assess the mist created by surgical lasers or by equipment used to clean wounds (hydrosurgical debridement). This could allow: 1. Identification of specific chemicals associated with healing/non-healing wounds; 2. Rapid examination of the wound and for any differences within different areas of the wound; 3. Information on when sufficient debridement has been performed, avoiding damage to healthy tissue. Another advantage is that it can avoid the need for wound tissue collection by means of a biopsy, which can be uncomfortable for patients.
This study will assess whether REIMS machinery can be successfully connected to a medical laser (OmniGuide® carbon dioxide laser) and a surgical debridement system (Versajet® II hydrosurgical debridement device).
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0255
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion