An overview of temperature monitoring devices for early detection of diabetic foot disorders

Abstract

Diabetic foot complications are associated with substantial costs and loss of quality of life. This article gives an overview of available and emerging devices for the monitoring of foot temperature as a means of early detection of foot disorders in diabetes. The aim is to describe the technologies and to summarize experiences from experimental use. Studies show that regular monitoring of foot temperature may limit the incidence of disabling conditions such as foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations. Infrared thermometry and liquid crystal thermography were identified as the leading technologies in use today. Both technologies are feasible for temperature monitoring of the feet and could be used as a complement to current practices for foot examinations in diabetes.

Keywords::

• diagnosis
• neuropathic diabetic foot
• prevention
• thermography
• ulceration

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the consulted medical experts for excellent guidance in their areas of expertise.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Financial support to this study has been provided by the local healthcare authority, the County Council of Östergötland, Sweden. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.