Scientists in the United States have developed a smart bandage, called the Smart Patch, that can monitor wound healing, administer medication, and promote tissue growth using electrical signals. This wearable device is a wireless, stretchable, and wearable bioelectronic system that can monitor multiple parameters and provide combined therapy for infected chronic wounds. It features a multimodal biosensor array, an electroactive hydrogel loaded with an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial peptide, and voltage-modulated electrodes for controlled drug release and electrical stimulation. The device was tested on rodents and was found to detect temperature, glucose levels, and pH of the wound fluid. The model wound treated with electrical stimulation showed substantially faster and more consistent migration of HDF cells towards the wound area for four subsequent days after wounding as compared to the control group without electrical stimulation. The smart bandage is comfortable and could help patients with chronic wounds heal faster and more effectively. The researchers hope to expand the testing of the smart bandage to humans, which could be a significant step forward in treating chronic wounds.
US Scientists Develop Smart Bandage for Chronic Wound Healing
Researchers in the United States have developed a smart bandage that can monitor wound healing, administer medication, and promote tissue growth using electrical signals. The Smart Patch is a wireless, stretchable, and wearable bioelectronic system that can monitor multiple parameters and provide combined therapy for infected chronic wounds, which can be useful for patients with burns, diabetic ulcers, and non-healing surgical wounds.
According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, the device comprises a reusable flexible printed circuit board and a disposable patch containing biosensors, electrodes, and drug-loaded hydrogels. The wearable patch features a multimodal biosensor array for simultaneous electrochemical sensing of wound exudate biomarkers, an electroactive hydrogel loaded with an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial peptide, and voltage-modulated electrodes for controlled drug release and electrical stimulation.
The device was tested on rodents and was found to detect characteristics such as temperature, glucose levels, and pH of the wound fluid. Furthermore, the model wound treated with electrical stimulation showed substantially faster and more consistent migration of HDF cells towards the wound area for four subsequent days after wounding as compared to the control group without electrical stimulation.
The disposable smart bandage can wirelessly send all signals to a user interface like a computer or cellphone, and electrical potential can control drug release. The device is biocompatible, mechanically flexible, stretchable, and skin-conformal, making it comfortable for the wearer.
This breakthrough in wound care could help patients with chronic wounds heal faster, more consistently, and more effectively. The researchers hope to expand the testing of the smart bandage to humans, which could be a significant step forward in treating chronic wounds.
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