” There are several kinds of chronic wounds, especially in diabetic ulcers and burns that last a very long time and trigger big concerns for the patient,” Gao states. “There is a need for innovation that can assist in recovery.”
Wei Gaos smart bandages are versatile, allowing them to remain on the skin even as it stretches and moves. Credit: Caltech
Unlike a common plaster, which might only consist of layers of absorbent product, the wise bandages are made from a flexible and elastic polymer including embedded electronics and medication. The electronic devices permit the sensor to keep an eye on for molecules like uric acid or lactate and conditions like pH level or temperature level in the wound that might be a sign of swelling or bacterial infection.
The bandage can react in one of 3 ways: First, it can send the gathered information from the injury wirelessly to a nearby computer system, tablet, or mobile phone for review by the patient or a doctor. Second, it can provide an antibiotic or other medication kept within the plaster straight to the injury site to treat the inflammation and infection. Third, it can use a low-level electrical field to the wound to promote tissue development leading to faster healing.
In animal models under laboratory conditions, the smart bandages revealed the ability to provide real-time updates about wound conditions and the animals metabolic states to scientists, in addition to deal speed healing of chronic infected wounds similar to those found in human beings.
A wise bandage rests on a gloved finger. Credit: Caltech
Gao says the outcomes are promising and includes that future research in cooperation with the Keck School of Medicine of USC will concentrate on improving the plaster technology and screening it on human patients, whose therapeutic needs might be various than those of laboratory animals.
” We have shown this evidence of concept in small animal models, but down the roadway, we would like to increase the stability of the device but also to evaluate it on bigger chronic wounds due to the fact that the wound specifications and microenvironment might vary from site to website,” he states.
Referral: “An elastic wireless wearable bioelectronic system for multiplexed monitoring and combination treatment of infected chronic injuries” by Ehsan Shirzaei Sani, Changhao Xu, Canran Wang, Yu Song, Jihong Min, Jiaobing Tu, Samuel A. Solomon, Jiahong Li, Jaminelli L. Banks, David G. Armstrong and Wei Gao, 24 March 2023, Science Advances.DOI: 10.1126/ sciadv.adf7388.
The study was moneyed by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Heritage Medical Research Institute, the Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Bioengineering Center at Caltech, the Rothenberg Innovation Initiative at Caltech, and a Sloan Research Fellowship.
In general, the bodys natural recovery procedure can efficiently manage cuts, scrapes, burns, and other types of injuries. The condition can hinder the healing procedure and result in relentless injuries that are prone to infection and may intensify over time.
The bandage can respond in one of 3 methods: First, it can transmit the collected data from the injury wirelessly to a close-by computer system, tablet, or smartphone for review by the patient or a medical specialist. Second, it can deliver an other or antibiotic medication saved within the plaster directly to the injury website to treat the inflammation and infection.
A larger version of the smart bandage rests on the back of a gloved hand. Credit: Caltech
In general, the bodys natural healing process can successfully deal with cuts, scrapes, burns, and other types of injuries. For people with diabetes, this may not constantly be the case. The condition can impair the healing process and result in relentless injuries that are vulnerable to infection and may aggravate gradually.
Chronic injuries not only trigger significant physical and emotional distress for those impacted, however they also position a considerable monetary burden on health care systems. In the United States alone, the cost of dealing with these wounds amounts to an estimated $25 billion annually.
A new kind of smart bandage developed at Caltech may make treatment of these wounds easier, more reliable, and less costly. These clever plasters were developed in the lab of Wei Gao, assistant teacher of medical engineering, Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar.