A new generation of bandages not only promote healing, but also deliver treatment and allow remote monitoring of a wound. Researchers are working on smart bandages that allow healthcare providers to observe the progress of the injury and accelerating healing with bursts of light or electricity.
According to The Wall Street Journal, these high-tech bandages may one day replace the gauze and plastic or latex bandages available today that simply cover the wound or hold an antibiotic ointment in place.
The push to develop smart bandages is part of the growing wearable technology industry that has been fueled in part by the $55 million funding by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The funds will help develop bioelectronics that speed the body’s natural healing processes to deliver faster recovery from wounds with fewer complications.
These innovative bandages can be a special boon for those with diabetes whose chronic wounds take a long time to heal. Slow-healing wounds are a burden to our healthcare system, costing $25 billion annually in the U.S. alone. One type of special bandage was developed for this purpose at Caltech by Wei Goa, assistant professor of medical engineering.
“There are many different types of chronic wounds, especially in diabetic ulcers and burns that last a long time and cause huge issues for patients,” says Goa. “There is a demand for technology that can facilitate recovery.”
Smart bandages are made from a flexible and stretchy polymer containing embedded electronics and medication. The electronics allow the monitoring of molecules and other conditions like pH level or temperature of the wound that could indicate inflammation or bacterial infection.
The bandage can then respond by gathering data and transmitting it to a device, delivering medication stored within the bandage, or applying a low-level electrical field to the wound to stimulate tissue growth and speed healing.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University are currently testing a bandage in mice and rats that detects infection and then delivers electrotherapy to speed healing. The scientists plan to make the bandage communicate reports through a cellphone app. The bandage could also deliver antibiotics stored in a small capsule or hydrogel, says the Journal. If the wound becomes infected, a doctor could remotely open a valve to release the ointment. The team plans to test their bandage on humans next year.