A team of US scientists has created the Smart Patch, a stretchable, wireless, wearable bioelectronic system for multiplexed monitoring and combined therapy of infected chronic wounds. Those with burns, diabetic ulcers, and non-healing surgical wounds may benefit from this tiny gadget.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, the researchers tested the barely-there bandage, which is "biocompatible, mechanically flexible, stretchable, and skin-conformal," on rodents.
"The device consists of two parts: one reusable flexible printed circuit board and one disposable patch," said Dr. Gao, per The Guardian. "The disposable patch contains biosensors, electrodes, and drug-loaded hydrogels."
According to the study, "the disposable wearable patch consists of a multimodal biosensor array for simultaneous and multiplexed electrochemical sensing of wound exudate biomarkers, a stimulus-responsive electroactive hydrogel loaded with a dual-function anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial peptide (AMP), as well as a pair of voltage-modulated electrodes for controlled drug release and electrical stimulation."
"All the signals can be wirelessly sent to a user interface [such as] a computer or a cellphone," said Gao.
"We can wirelessly control the drug release by applying electrical potential."
The team describes how they tested the smart bandages on diabetic mouse and rat wounds both before and after infection, discovering that the devices could detect characteristics such as the temperature, glucose levels, and pH of the wound fluid.
"The wearable patch's therapeutic capability towards enhanced tissue regeneration via electrical stimulation was assessed using an in vitro wound healing assay. The model wound treated with electrical stimulation showed substantially faster and more consistent migration of HDF cells towards the wound area for four subsequent days after wounding as compared to the control group without electrical stimulation," the study mentioned.
Featured Video Of The Day
NDTV Exclusive With IMA President: "It's Definitely Not Done By One Culprit"
Indian-Origin US Scientist Shrinivas R Kulkarni Wins Prestigious Shaw Prize In Astronomy Extra-Terrestrials On Jupiter's Moon? NASA Plans Probe To Find Out Major US Cities Sinking Faster Than You Think, Warns NASA Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Kolkata Rape-Murder: Fractures, 150 mg Semen, Other Claims Denied By Cops Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah To Be Prosecuted In Land Scam Case 100 Firefighters Tackle Large Blaze At Historic London Art Centre Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Accused, Can Be Sent To India: US Court Mumbai University Invites Applications For Distance Learning Courses Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.