US Scientists Develop A Disposable 'Smart Bandage' That Helps In Healing Chronic Wounds
NDTV
A smart patch that has been created by researchers can monitor healing, administer medicines to wounds, and use electrical signals to drive tissue growth.
A team of US scientists has created the Smart Patch, a stretchable, wireless, wearable bioelectronic system for multiplexed monitoring and combined therapy of infected chronic wounds. Those with burns, diabetic ulcers, and non-healing surgical wounds may benefit from this tiny gadget.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, the researchers tested the barely-there bandage, which is "biocompatible, mechanically flexible, stretchable, and skin-conformal," on rodents.
"The device consists of two parts: one reusable flexible printed circuit board and one disposable patch," said Dr. Gao, per The Guardian. "The disposable patch contains biosensors, electrodes, and drug-loaded hydrogels."
According to the study, "the disposable wearable patch consists of a multimodal biosensor array for simultaneous and multiplexed electrochemical sensing of wound exudate biomarkers, a stimulus-responsive electroactive hydrogel loaded with a dual-function anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial peptide (AMP), as well as a pair of voltage-modulated electrodes for controlled drug release and electrical stimulation."