Non-contact Sensation Screening of Diabetic Foot Using Low Cost Infrared Sensors

Abstract

We present a low-cost medical embedded system for detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). More specifically, we use low-cost infrared sensors to capture in a non-contact fashion the thermal response of the feet following cold stimulation. The rate of thermal regulation is then calculated based on temperature recovery and used to quantify the degree of the foot sensation. This device and methodology enables early detection of risk for DPN for in-home use or at family care clinics where fancy, expensive tests cannot be conducted.