New smart bandage monitors as it heals
Marie Donlon | December 10, 2022A proof-of-concept wireless smart bandage capable of monitoring and healing wounds simultaneously has been developed by researchers from Stanford University.
According to its developers, the wireless smart bandage promotes tissue repair, expedites wound healing, increases new blood flow to the injured tissue and reduces scar formation.
Source: Jian-Cheng Lai/Bao Research Group, Stanford University
To accomplish this, the smart bandage consists of wireless circuitry featuring impedance and temperature sensors for monitoring wound healing progression. At 100 microns thick, the electronic layer of the bandage includes a microcontroller unit (MCU), an electrical stimulator, memory, a radio antenna, biosensors and other components. The circuitry is layered on hydrogel that delivers healing electrical stimulation to the wound it conceals while also collecting real-time biosensor data.
If the wound isn’t healing or an infection is detected by the bandage, sensors alert a central processing unit, which responds by applying increased electrical stimulation across the wound, thereby accelerating tissue closure and reducing infection.
According to its developers: “In sealing the wound, the smart bandage protects as it heals. But it is not a passive tool. It is an active healing device that could transform the standard of care in the treatment of chronic wounds.”
The bandage is detailed in the article, Wireless, closed-loop, smart bandage with integrated sensors and stimulators for advanced wound care and accelerated healing, which appears in the journal Nature Biotechnology.