Chronic wounds: a connected dressing could heal them

An "intelligent" dressing capable of treating chronic wounds. Here is the prototype presented on April 9, 2018 in the scientific journal Small . This device was developed by a dozen American, South Korean and Saudi researchers.

The connected bandage is intended for patients whose healing is difficult, including diabetics and victims of burns . The device comprises two major innovations:

pH and temperature

The first is a pH sensor, expected to detect infection of the wound as early as possible. Generally, a healing lesion has an acid pH (between 5.5 and 6.5) while a wound that is infected has an alkaline pH (greater than 7).

The second innovation is a temperature sensor, which conditions the delivery of a treatment, directly on the wound. Until now, patients who heal poorly can receive oral antibiotics. This method has the drawback of delivering doses higher than those which would have been administered by the dermal route.

© Press Service 19659002] One of the risks of this strategy is to unbalance a healthy body by eradicating "good" bacteria from other organs (digestive tract, bad, etc.). With a temperature sensor, scientists predict measuring wound inflammation and delivering antibiotics, dermally, at the right time.

Difficult wound healing

A chronic wound is a lesion with a longer healing time . To be considered chronic, the wound must not show a tendency to heal after 4 to 6 weeks of evolution. This condition mainly affects patients with leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, frostbite or burns.

Chronic wounds are the leading cause of nontraumatic limb amputations worldwide. Among the dressings indicated for treating this pathology, mention may be made of vaselined dressings or hydrocolloid dressings.