A Control System Design to Establish Dose-Response Relationships in Wound Healing Therapy

Abstract

Advanced biophysical wound healing therapies can apply mechanical, electrical, or light energy to re-stimulate healing processes in chronic wounds. Despite the growing evidence of the clinical efficacy of these therapies, the optimal treatment stimulation parameters remain unknown and there are no standard treatment protocols. We introduce a closed-loop control design as an experimental system to study the dose-response of wound healing therapy treatment within a prescribed multidimensional and multimodal stimulation parameter space. Systems engineering approaches are applied to the control problem for estimation of a transfer function and model equations derived for use in optimal model-based control. The experimental control system design consisted of simultaneous application of biophysical energies inputted into a wound system. A study design set up including the use of negative pressure wound therapy, electrical stimulation therapy, and photobiomodulation device systems was described. Treatment stimulation parameters were selected from experimental ranges used in the scientific literature. Classical control methods and model-based control were suggested for model selection and evaluation and design of the overall control system. An experimental design for multimodal biophysical wound healing therapy control system is introduced to establish the dose-response interactions for development of therapeutic applications and device design.