A new intelligent bandage can monitor, treat chronic wounds



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Researchers developed a prototype bandage designed to actively monitor the status of chronic wounds and administer appropriate drug treatments to improve the chances of healing.

Although laboratory-tested dressings remain to be evaluated in a clinical setting, a study, published in the journal Small, stated that the goal is to turn the bandage of a traditionally pbadive treatment into a more active paradigm to face a persistent and difficult medical challenge.

According to the researchers, chronic skin wounds caused by burns, diabetes and other medical problems can overwhelm the skin's regenerative capabilities and often lead to infections and persistent amputations.

"We have been able to adopt a new bandage approach because of the emergence of flexible electronics," said co-author Sameer Sonkusale, a professor at the University of Toronto. Tufts University in the United States

Researchers designed bandages with heat-resistant and heat-resistant drugs, and temperature sensors that track infection and inflammation.

says that the pH of a chronic wound is one of the key parameters to monitor its progress.Humanized wounds typically range between 5.5 and 6.5 while unhealing infected wounds can have a pH well above 6.5

Temperature is also an important parameter, providing information on the level of inflammation in and around the wound.

While the smart dressings in this study combine sensors pH and temperature, the The team has also developed flexible sensors for oxygenation – another marker of healing – that can be integrated into the dressing.

The inflammation could also be followed not only by heat, but also by specific biomarkers, the researchers said.

A microprocessor reads the sensor data and can release the drug on demand from its carriers by heating the gel.

The entire construction is attached to a clear medical tape to form a flexible bandage of less than 3 mm in thickness. The components were selected to keep the dressing cheap and disposable, with the exception of the microprocessor, which can be reused.

The researchers noted that smart dressings could provide real-time monitoring and treatment with limited intervention of the patient or caregivers.

– IANS

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(This story was not edited by Business Standard staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)

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