Clinical Trial #1, Burn Classification and the Concept of Healing Potential

At this time, the traditional burn depth classification system (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree) was challenged as the leading centres we were working with were also using innovative treatments that could alter whether a burn that would have been treated with surgery could be treated without. “Predicted Healing Time” became the diagnosis of choice and working with imminent statisticians, we developed a unique colour palette that gave just that. Scan the burn and get a colour coded map, the colours of which predict how long the burn will take to heal allowing the surgeon to choose the treatment plan based on what was available to the consultant. Importantly, it was shown that the diagnostic accuracy could be improved from 50% – 70% to >95% (together with the clinicians opinion) from just two days post burn, a time when visual indications of burn outcome are notoriously difficult otherwise. Together with hardware changes, the new software really was the heart of our new MK II clinical tool.