Date of Award
December 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Biomedical Engineering
First Advisor
Pantea Tavakolian
Abstract
Background: Pressure injuries affect millions of people annually, despite the widespread use of preventive technologies such as alternating pressure air mattresses. However, systematic reviews find inconclusive evidence for their effectiveness. Current assessment methods capture only single-point measurements or static snapshots, missing the spatial-temporal complexity of tissue responses to support surfaces.Objective: Determine the efficacy of an APAM by utilizing a multi-modal optical imaging approach to assess spatial-temporal tissue responses to different support surfaces.
Methods: A multi-modal imaging device, combined with laser speckle contrast imaging for perfusion assessment and reflectance spectroscopy for oxygenation measurement, was applied to study tissue responses after a participant lay across three support surfaces: foam, gel, and APAMs. Analysis methods varied from correlation-based assessment to k-means clustering of temporal patterns, integrating several to create a tissue state classification.
Results: Integration of perfusion and oxygenation parameters revealed 48 distinct physiological states representing different tissue recovery conditions. Spatial analysis of these states uncovered the "anatomical signature", individual-specific recovery patterns that persisted across all three surfaces. While foam and gel surfaces showed clear expression of these patterns, APAMs modified but did not eliminate them, particularly along channel architecture. Individuals demonstrated consistent within-person patterns but also showed between-person variation, suggesting that underlying anatomical structures, tissue vulnerability, and recovery.
Conclusions: This research introduces the concept of anatomical signature, demonstrating that tissue recovery follows individually characteristic patterns, likely determined by anatomical variations in bone proximity, vascular architecture, and tissue composition. APAMs appear to work by modifying rather than eliminating these patterns. These findings suggest the need for personalized strategies based on an individual's anatomical pattern.
Recommended Citation
Sandhu, Sukhveer Singh, "Anatomical Signatures: How Individual Tissue Patterns Shape Recovery Response To Support Surfaces" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 8245.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8245