moorLDLS-BI for burn depth assessment

The technology described in this briefing is moorLDLS‑BI for laser doppler line scanning. It is a non‑invasive imaging system that uses laser doppler technology to map the blood flow for burn depth assessment.

The innovative aspect is the use of a line‑scanning approach that minimises scan time. It takes 4 seconds to scan areas up to 15 cm × 20 cm, compared with the moorLDI2‑BI scan time, which is between 80 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the burn area.

The intended place in therapy would be in specialist burn centres, in addition to clinical‑based evaluation, for people who have burn injuries. The experts indicated it is particularly appropriate for use in children.

The main points from the evidence summarised in this briefing are from 2 randomised controlled trials and 3 cross‑sectional studies, including a total of 557 people with burns being referred to burn centres for assessment and treatment. They suggest that using the moorLDLS‑BI was associated with reduced burn healing time and the accuracy of the moorLDLS‑BI imager was comparable to that of clinical evaluation and moorLDI2‑BI, a similar technology used for scanning larger areas.

Key uncertainties around the evidence are that the evidence on clinical benefits using moorLDLS‑BI is limited in quantity and quality. The evidence would benefit from well‑controlled trials comparing moorLDLS‑BI with clinical assessment alone and other existing technologies. The evidence on the use of the technology in people with dark skin remains unclear.

The cost of moorLDLS‑BI is £63,421 (excluding VAT) with an annual servicing cost of about £6,145, or it can be leased at an inclusive cost of about £20,000 per year. As an add‑on intervention for burn assessment, the resource impact would be greater than clinical evaluation by healthcare professionals.