Diseño de prototipo para tratar leishmaniasis cutánea con alta frecuencia

Abstract

La elaboración de este trabajo surgió a partir de un proyecto del Centro de Estudios en Salud (CES) de la Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, institución que actualmente investiga esta enfermedad. Al conocer su iniciativa, me pareció importante el poder contribuir mediante el desarrollo de un equipo de bajo costo y fácil acceso para las personas que viven en las zonas endémicas de Guatemala, ya que considero que deben existir alternativas terapéuticas accesibles, porque todas las personas tienen derecho a recibir atención en salud. El tratamiento de esta enfermedad no solo busca reducir los efectos adversos sistémicos de los medicamentos convencionales, sino también mejorar la administración de la terapia, disminuir las posibles infecciones en las úlceras de los pacientes y, principalmente, favorecer su bienestar emocional, ayudándolos a recuperar la autoestima al eliminar las lesiones cutáneas.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in tropical and subtropical regions, caused by a protozoan of the Leishmania genus, and manifests as chronic skin ulcers. In recent years, numerous cases have been reported, indicating a high incidence of the disease. Conventional treatments include antimonial drugs, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and thermal therapies; however, many of these present severe side effects, limited availability, and long treatment durations, causing some patients to abandon therapy or resort to unsafe practices. As an alternative, high-frequency thermal therapy has been investigated as an effective solution, since recent studies have shown that it can be as effective as or even more effective than conventional treatments, without systemic effects, allowing localized application and achieving favorable results after a single session. In Guatemala, the availability of such devices is limited, resulting in a lack of trained personnel and standardized usage protocols. A high-frequency thermal prototype was designed and developed for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The system consists of a power circuit controlled by a PI module, responsible for actively regulating temperature. To generate the biphasic pulse, MOSFETs and a relay were implemented to switch the high-frequency signal applied to the electrode. Experimental tests were performed using agarose gel, simulating the thermal properties of human skin. The results showed that the device was able to reach and maintain temperatures between 50 and 55 °C, which corresponds to the therapeutic range for the elimination of the Leishmania parasite, validating the stability and effectiveness of the control system.