Plantar-Palmar Index Using SnapshotNIR Wins Best Clinical Research Abstract at SAWC 2025

Best Clinical Research Abstract went to the poster introducing the Plantar-Palmar Index via SnapshotNIR, an ABI alternative for oxygenation assessment in PAD.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, May 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kent Imaging, a leading innovator in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) medical imaging, is proud to announce that a research poster featuring its flagship technology, SnapshotNIR, was awarded Best Clinical Research Abstract at the Symposium of Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring 2025, a premier conference for wound care professionals. Additionally, the lead author and primary investigator, Jonathan Niezgoda, OMS2, William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, was recognized by being nominated for The Young Investigator Award.

The awarded poster titled, “The Plantar-Palmar Index with Near Infrared Spectroscopy Replaces the Ankle-Brachial Index for Noninvasive Evaluation of Vascular Perfusion and Peripheral Arterial Disease,” introduces a novel clinical protocol. The protocol uses NIRS to assess tissue oxygenation on plantar and palmer aspects of a patient, replacing the need to complete an ankle-brachial index (ABI) assessment.

By leveraging real-time tissue oxygenation data from SnapshotNIR, clinicians can calculate a Plantar-Palmar Index (PPI)—a potential alternative to the traditional ABI, which is often unreliable in patients with diabetes or arterial calcification. The resulting PPI strongly correlated with ABI and Pulse Volume Recordings (PVR), suggesting it may be a more reliable, efficient, and patient-friendly tool for evaluating Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

“The Plantar-Palmar Index using SnapshotNIR represents a significant advancement in how we evaluate vascular oxygenation, especially in patients where traditional ABI methods are challenging and unreliable,” said Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda, Chief Medical Officer of Wound Care and Limb Preservation at Kent Imaging, “This approach delivers objective, real-time data that is not only easier to obtain but also more actionable for clinicians making time-sensitive decisions for vascular diagnostics and ultimately, limb preservation.”

Looking ahead, this research can open doors into new assessment methods. The PPI using SnapshotNIR offers an accessible, reimbursable, and highly scalable alternative, which can be particularly impactful in wound care settings, where accurate oxygenation assessment is critical to healing outcomes and limb preservation.

“The development of the Plantar-Palmar index with SnapshotNIR represents a major step forward, overcoming limitations of traditional methods such as ABI,” said Dr. Glyn, Jones, Chief Medical Officer of Surgery at Kent Imaging, “With years of firsthand experience using these techniques, I see this innovation as a truly accessible and scalable way for clinicians to assess oxygenation directly at the bedside. It has the potential to make outdated approaches obsolete and meaningfully improve wound healing outcomes.”

Kent Imaging congratulates the researchers on their hard work and pioneering the way towards innovative medical assessments. The poster’s team of researchers included Jonathan Niezgoda, Francis Derk, DPM, Deparpan Das, MSc, Najratun Nayem Pinky, PhD, Sandeep Gopalakrishnan, PhD, and Jeffrey A. Niezgoda, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Kent Imaging.

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
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