[ad_1]
A new type of dressing has been devised to reduce chronic pain.
This medical advance is only in its prototype, but it could be good news for people with chronic wounds. The idea originated at Tuft University, Mbadachusetts (USA). The researchers developed a prototype of an intelligent dressing that can monitor injuries and regularly release a required amount of treatment.
The smart dressing was developed on the basis of scientific observations. According to the researchers behind the prototype, "the cure rate can be improved by administering therapies at the right time." That's why smart wrap, made of a microprocessor, is able to badyze the oxygen level, detect temperature changes and regulate the pH of the wound to avoid infection.
The researchers presented their work in the medical journal Small, at the beginning of July. This "smart bandage" would be a good solution to relieve some 25 million American patients suffering from chronic pain. In particular patients suffering from major diabetes or burns and who require the monitoring and the application of drugs regularly. Untreated, these wounds can become infected and go up to the amputation of a limb.
Chronic non-healing wounds are an important medical problem: almost 15% of older people need treatment for at least one type of chronic wound. These patients are generally more limited in their ability to take care of themselves and these non-healing or delayed healing wounds are usually treated as outpatients or at home. The need for devices to better monitor these wounds is therefore essential to optimize the chances of healing.
For the electrical and computer engineering professor Sameer Sonkusale, this type of research is possible thanks to the emergence of flexible electronics.
It will take many tests and a while before we see this kind of bandage on the market, but this is promising.
Source link
