The University of Manchester and Salford Royal NHS Trust researchers have built a lamp to treat chronic ulcers.

Dr. Michael Hughes headed the trial funded by The Arthritis Research UK, who validated the therapy, which concentrates infrared, red and ultraviolet light, onto finger ulcers due to systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder which targets the body’s fingers and toes.

The study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, explains the treatment of the patients using the lamp for 15-minute sittings, twice a week for three weeks. Eight patients with 14 ulcers among them, received the treatment.

The results revealed an average of 83% recovery of the ulcers and no side-effects post the treatment.

The novel therapy can be applied at home using SIM card technology to distantly supervise patient improvement. The lamp includes 32 diverse bulbs that emit infrared, red or ultraviolet light. Hughes commented that the results of the trial were so noteworthy that the device could be a probable treatment for other ulcers, like diabetic and venous ulcers.

Hughes said, “We believe this technology is a game changer; the implications are huge,”

“Ulcers cause much distress to patients—and current treatments are costly to the NHS and problematic for patients who can only receive them in hospital.

“But this technology is cheap and practical – it’s really a no-brainer as it can be administered at home.

“There are future possibilities as well: we think this device could be easily adapted to monitor ulcers remotely using cameras. They could also be programmed to recognize different parts of the body so that the treatment is given accurately.

“In the next six to 12 months we shall be refining the machine and within 12 months we hope to trial it on diabetic ulcers.”