REIMS Project - Fiona Wood Foundation

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The Technology

The iKnife has been provided by Waters Corporation (Global Research Segment – clinical), with support from Scientronic Instrument Services Australia.

At the centre of this work is the REIMS (Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry) project, an innovative research initiative supported by the Cynthia Banham Burn Injury Research Fellowship. The project, Data-assisted Burns Debridement using REIMS, aims to enhance surgical precision by enabling real-time tissue analysis during burn wound treatment.

How the Research Works

The first phase of the study focuses on analysing skin tissue that has already been removed during surgery. This ex vivo approach allows researchers to rigorously test the technology outside the operating room and assess how accurately it can distinguish between healthy and damaged tissue.

Findings from REIMS are compared with traditional surgical assessment methods to evaluate its reliability and effectiveness.

Why This Matters

Currently, burn surgery relies heavily on a surgeon’s expertise to visually assess tissue. REIMS has the potential to support this process by providing real-time insights into:

tissue health and composition; and
the presence of bacteria.

This could improve the precision of surgical debridement, helping to reduce the risk of removing healthy tissue or leaving damaged tissue behind—both of which can affect healing and recovery.

This early research phase is a critical step toward safely introducing REIMS into live surgical settings. By generating strong pilot data, the team aims to ensure the technology is both safe and effective before it is used during procedures.

Supporting the Next Stage

Progressing this work into real-time surgical use will require further funding. The research team is actively seeking support through opportunities such as the Future Research Innovation Fund and other grant programs.

If you are interested in supporting this work, please contact Di Lim at diane@fionawoodfoundation.org.au.

With continued support, this research has the potential to transform burn surgery and improve outcomes for patients.