A Prospective, Single-blind Evaluation of the Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of the MolecuLight i:X™ Imaging Device to Predict the Presence of Bacteria in Chronic Wounds

MolecuLight Inc. (Toronto, Canada) has recently introduced to the Canadian market an innovative imaging device, the MolecuLight i:X™ Imaging Device, that offers real-time detection of important biological and molecular information of a chronic wound, and could have significant impact on improving conventional wound care and management. The MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device is intended to assist clinicians during care and management of patients with chronic wounds by screening for the presence of potentially harmful bacteria levels. The device can capture and document either an image or video of the chronic wound where the presence of fluorescent bacteria appears under violet light illumination. This information can be used to guide a clinician to inspect, sample, debride or further evaluate areas within or around a wound where fluorescent bacteria are present. Though the MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device has been shown to be effective in controlled settings, this study is deploying the device in a larger population and evaluating the ability of the MolecuLight i:X device to positively predict the presence of bacteria in chronic wounds.

The overall objective of this work is to evaluate the MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device in screening of chronic wounds for the presence of bacteria. The device is intended to guide the clinician to inspect, sample, debride or further evaluate areas within or around a wound where fluorescent bacteria are present.

All imaging will be performed with the MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device at an appropriate distance from the wound of interest (8 - 12 cm), which is indicated by the range finder LED. Illumination is provided by two violet (405 nm) LEDs that produce a bright, but clinically safe, uniform illumination. Fluorescence imaging is performed on the camera in real-time while the device is in fluorescence mode and the room lights are turned off. If room ambient light cannot be eliminated to an acceptable level (indicated by the ambient light sensor), the MolecuLight drape must be used to achieve a dark environment. A standard measurement sticker will be placed adjacent to the wound within the field of view to act as a reference for size.

All microbiological analysis will be performed as per clinic standard practice. Tissue samples will be analyzed for culture and sensitivity, yielding the species of bacteria present in the sample (if any), the susceptibility to various antibiotics and a measure of the bacterial load.