A new-generation bandage heals wounds on its own, sends data to doctors and softens scars using a combination of light and electricity. This is the latest development developed by researchers at the University of Southampton in England.
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How do smart clothes work?
- High-tech bandages promise to eliminate the use of gauze and “band-aids” in the hospitals of the future.
- Smart Bandages are part of the wearables category.
- Each module contains flexible electronics.
- The removable circle is inside the bandage and can be reused in new bandages.
- Prototypes have already been presented at medical conferences and can detect how a wound heals and wirelessly transmit information to a doctor.
- The plan is also to be able to administer treatments remotely.
- This new technology may not be necessary for a simple cut or scrape, but it could save lives in the case of more serious wounds.
Researchers at the University of Southampton use tiny LEDs on bandages to emit UV light, sterilizing the wound as it heals. At the moment, the invention is in the preliminary stage of laboratory tests:
A team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers is also testing a version of the bandage on animals that can detect infection and deliver electrotherapy, an electrical jolt that speeds healing. Studies show that electrical stimulation can increase the migration of immune cells to kill germs and remove dead cells at the wound site.
It is possible that the new dressing could eventually be able to administer antibiotics, which could be stored in a small capsule or hydrogel. In the event of an infection, the doctor can remotely request that a valve be opened and apply medication directly to the wound, for example.
What doctors say:
“It's a very hot area these days“, says Guillermo Amir, a biomedical engineer and professor at Northwestern University, when The Wall Street Journal. “When we started in this space five years ago, there were very few people looking at smart bandages. Now we have many colleagues, not only in the United States, but also in China and Europe“.
“You can have healthcare centers monitoring these devices and communicating with patients when a problem occursAdded Dr. William Teitelbach, wound care specialist and president of the American Society for Professional Wound Care.
With information from The Wall Street Journal
