Researchers have created a connected metal “bandage” that accelerates wound healing by 30% and monitors the healing process, before being absorbed by the body.
Researchers from northwestern universityin the United States, have created a new type of metal bandage that accelerates the healinghealing sores. The researchers were interested in the “diabetic foot”, in other words the problem of ulceration of the feet in people with diabetes, following neuropathy. Ulcers can take a long time to heal, which can lead to infection or evenamputationamputation. This problem affects 15 to 25% of the population diabeticdiabetic.
In order to reduce the durationduration to limit the risk of infection, the researchers turned to electrotherapy. They created a electrodeelectrode which is placed directly on the wound in order to apply electrical stimulation. Their results, published in the journal Science Advancesshow a 30% acceleration of healing in tests on mice with 30-minute sessions of electrotherapy per day.
Introducing the bioabsorbable electronic dressing. (In English, turn on automatic translation of captions.) © Northwestern University
A connected bandage that monitors healing
The electrode is composed of a central part which is placed directly on the wound, and of a ring which surrounds it. It is connected to a coil in order to be powered by electromagnetic induction, eliminating wires. The researchers opted for an electrode in molybdenummolybdenumand metalmetal used in electronics and present in food, and which can be absorbed by the body. Thus, it is not necessary to remove the electrode which will disappear by itself, which avoids disturbing the healinghealing of the wound.
As the wound heals, the moisture content decreases, which increases theelectrical impedanceelectrical impedance. The electrode can measure the impedance and send the data by NFC. This therefore makes it possible to ensure the smooth running of the healing. The researchers plan to test their bandage on larger animals, before moving on to humans.