Real-world evidence study uses SnapshotNIR on 4,000+ wounds to deliver targeted care and improve wound healing outcomes

The retrospective study examines SnapshotNIR use on wounds in post-acute care, showing how tissue viability insights help improve plan of care for patients.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, July 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kent Imaging, a leader in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) medical imaging, is proud to share the publication in the Journal of Wound Care titled “Utilization of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in Post-Acute Care: Analysis of Real-World Clinical Decision Making.” This is a pioneering study reporting real-world evidence of a data set of 19,192 wounds from 6,147 patients in post-acute care.

The study provided the most comprehensive real-world evaluation of SnapshotNIR, analyzing its clinical application across 35% of the dataset, in 2,165 patients, and 4,060 wounds. The data highlighted how numerous providers, across 22 states of the US, selectively deployed SnapshotNIR in cases of clinical complexity, particularly when conventional wound care approaches had plateaued.

SnapshotNIR directly impacted clinician's care plans for the imaged wounds including determining a wound goal as maintenance (20.76%), noting a wound goal as healable (17.39%), identifying the need for additional studies (11.60%), determining a wound goal as palliative (5.22%), and directing hospice referral (0.76%).

The study found that providers used SnapshotNIR for care plan evaluation (92.98%), tissue oxygenation trending (66.65%), evaluation of the necessity and effectiveness of debridement (29.16%), and microcirculation or vascular referral assessment (8.89%). The NIRS-imaged group included patients with non-healing wounds, systemic disease burden, and vascular risk factors—populations in whom diagnostic uncertainty is high, and healing trajectories are difficult to predict.

Martha R. Kelso, RN, CHWS, DAPWCA, Founder and Chief Regulatory Officer at Wound Care Plus, LLC, and primary author stated, “Our pioneering, big data research in post-acute care settings using this point-of-care diagnostic technology enabled our providers to utilize data-driven decisions rather than relying on assumptions. Using SnapshotNIR as our premier choice for near-infrared spectroscopy has provided valuable insights into tissue perfusion beyond the limits of the naked eye with the wound and skin surface. Additionally, with Kent Imaging’s SnapshotNIR, we can see inflammatory processes, oxygenation, and deoxygenation, helping us to confirm or change wound etiology in real-time without a care delay. This diagnostic device showed we could perform higher-quality debridements by getting down to viable tissue with adequate perfusion—a key step in wound healing. With visual NIR guidance, the clinicians at Wound Care Plus, LLC can perform diagnostics, debride, and perform other procedures with confidence, helping to heal more wounds more effectively.”

"SnapshotNIR has become an essential part of my daily workflow as a wound care clinician,” commented Erin Brunkan, FNP-C at Wound Care Plus LLC, and a co-author. She continued, “It’s like having a window into a wound’s healing potential. Our goal is always to do our best clinical work to close a wound, and this publication highlighted how objective data from the device can drive a wound towards closure, with more confidence and clarity in our plan of care.”

SnapshotNIR uses NIRS to assess tissue oxygenation by measuring the relative concentrations of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin within the microvasculature. This non-invasive, handheld imaging technology delivers instant, color-coded oxygenation maps assisting clinicians in their treatment planning. Unique to SnapshotNIR is the hemoglobin view, providing clinicians with additional insights into wound healing trends without the need for dyes, contact, or compression, at the point of care.

Kelso added, “Wound Care Plus, LLC adopted this technology company-wide in 2022 when these portable diagnostic devices passed our “trunk-to-bed” test. A requirement I use to invest in diagnostic technologies is being able to take them right to the patient’s bedside—meeting our need to facilitate on-the-spot assessments for perfusion. This data shows we are making a significant difference, healing more wounds, and providing appropriate certified plans of care to meet this underserved population. In Post-Acute Care, technology and advancements are often anemic or an afterthought by payors, despite being the demographic that needs it the most due to significant co-morbidities, polypharmacy, and a host of other challenges. This technology brings the diagnostic side of wound care out of the 1980s and into the millennia where we belong.”

The study's results validated the targeted use of SnapshotNIR in a diverse patient population. It demonstrated healing rates of 36.5% for pressure ulcers, 38.15% for lower extremity wounds, and 39.68% for all wounds, compared to the previously published healing rate of 22.5% for the same practice when using standard of care. It represented an improvement of 62%–76% in healing rates compared to the previously published rate.

“The data showed that even in complex cases, we were able to shift wound goals from palliative to healable in numerous cases, which is a game-changer for the population we treat across the country,” noted Amanda R. Ohrt, MHA, AAPWCA, Chief Quality Officer at Wound Care Plus LLC, and co-author. “For our mobile care patients, where every visit counts, SnapshotNIR gives us the insights we need to tailor treatments that actually work, allowing us to heal more wounds.”

As this technology continues to gain traction in acute, post-acute, and outpatient settings, Kent Imaging remains committed to supporting ongoing research and provider education.

Congratulations to the team of clinicians and researchers behind this publication. Special recognition to lead author Martha R. Kelso, RN, CHWS, DAPWCA, HBOT, and co-authors Amanda R. Ohrt, MHA, AAPWCA; Erin Brunkan, NP-C; Denise Flynn, AGNP-C; Lauren Riley, FNP-C; William H. Tettelbach, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FUHM, MAPWCA; Najratun Nayem Pinky, PhD; Debarpan Das, MSc; Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS; and Jennie Feight, MS, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I.

About Kent Imaging

Kent Imaging, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a leading innovator in near-infrared tissue oxygenation imaging, which develops, manufactures, and markets medical technology that supports real-time decision-making in wound care, vascular and surgical subspecialties. Kent holds multiple patents in oxygen imaging technology and continues to provide innovative and advanced diagnostic imaging solutions to aid healthcare systems nationally and internationally. SnapshotNIR is supported by clinical evidence demonstrating its ability to help improve clinical decision-making in wound care and reduce healing time. Since receiving FDA and Health Canada clearance in 2017, the technology has been featured in several published articles and peer-reviewed posters. Applying the knowledge gained from clinical trials to patient care promotes consistency of treatment and optimal outcomes.

Leah Pavlick
Kent Imaging Inc.
leah@kentimaging.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X