Dr. Karen Cross, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and CEO of MIMOSA Diagnostics, saw countless patients with diabetes and chronic wounds in her clinic. People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing pressure wounds due to complications like poor circulation and nerve damage. Many of her patients came into her clinic too late to prevent complications and ultimately had lower extremity amputations to prevent fatal infections.
“It’s incredibly challenging to adjust to life post-amputation while managing advanced diabetes,” said Dr. Cross.
In addition to her professional experience, both of Dr. Cross’s grandfathers died from complications due to wounds. Despite her expertise and numerous phone calls to ensure her grandfather received the care he needed, it was not enough. Her experiences with patients in her clinic and her grandfathers drove her to innovate a better solution for patients and clinicians.
“There had to be a better way to assess tissue health for patients to prevent further complications,” said Dr. Cross.
She knew that if care providers had a way to see beneath the skin’s surface, they could intervene sooner. For instance, if the patient’s blood flow was compromised, they could be referred to a vascular specialist to help restore blood flow. By the time wounds become noticeable on the outside of the skin, a much larger area below the surface is already damaged, and there is a higher likelihood of infections or other issues.
Over the next few years, Dr. Cross and her co-founder, Dr. General Leung, and their team developed a pocket-sized device called the MIMOSA Pro. The device provides vital information about the health of tissue. In a single snapshot, clinicians can gather four key insights that help them determine the patient’s tissue health and the best next steps in patient care. These insights include tissue oxygenation (blood flow), thermography (inflammation and infection), a high-dynamic range digital image, and wound measurements. Once captured, the images and data are uploaded to a secure web portal where clinicians can evaluate patient healing over time and determine if changes to the treatment plan are needed.
As Chris Boodoo, Head of Clinical Affairs at MIMOSA Diagnostics, describes it: “They took some of the key capabilities of imaging technologies from the lab, which were nearly 14 feet tall and 200 pounds, and shrunk it down to a handheld, pocket-sized imaging device that can be easily used at any point-of-care.”
“The MIMOSA Pro is up and coming in Canada and quite popular in the U.S.,” says Boodoo, explaining it’s being used in wound care clinics and long-term care homes to identify patients at risk of developing ulcers or pressure injuries. If they do develop these injuries, the MIMOSA Pro can demonstrate whether the blood supply is adequate to promote healing on its own or if interventions are required, empowering patients and caregivers to be more involved in their care journey.
Currently, nurses examine the skin for tears or discoloration to prevent wounds and pressure injuries. However, these naked eye assessments are limited because they can only see what’s happening outside of the skin. Additionally, vision assessments are challenging when assessing tissue health for individuals with darker skin tones. “This is because the visual signs of potential wounds are not as obvious,” says Boodoo. With its ability to see below the skin’s surface, the MIMOSA Pro addresses these challenges.
Now that the MIMOSA Pro is being used in care settings across North America, MIMOSA Diagnostics is leveraging funding from INOVAIT to build an AI tool that can predict patient outcomes.
To incorporate AI into the MIMOSA Pro, they are using anonymized data gathered from their devices and then linking that data with each patient’s condition over time. By learning from hundreds of patients, the hope is that the AI component could identify the specific combinations of tissue health qualities that should be flagged for even earlier intervention.
The MIMOSA Pro represents a significant advancement in wound care, offering clinicians a powerful tool to not only assess tissue health but also to intervene proactively. The MIMOSA Pro is already leading to better outcomes. As an example, Boodoo shares the story of an early-stage pressure injury in a patient with a darker skin tone. “When the clinician took an image with the MIMOSA Pro, they were surprised by the scale of the injury. It helped them to advocate for that patient’s care,” he says. “Our goal is to create equitable technologies for everyone.”
