Engineers from Tufts University have developed a new prototype bandage that actively monitors the condition of chronic wounds and delivers the appropriate drug treatments to improve the chances of healing.
Chronic skin wounds from burns, diabetes and other medical conditions can overwhelm the regenerative capabilities of the skin and can lead to persistent infections and amputations.
However, the researchers designed the bandages with healing elements and thermoresposive drug carries that deliver tailored treatments in response to embedded pH, and temperature sensors that track infection and inflammation.
The bandage uses sensors to monitor several key parameters that generally tell whether a wound is healing.
The pH of chronic wounds often indicate whether the wound is healing correctly. Normally, wounds that are healing fall within a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. However, infected wounds could have a pH well above 6.5.
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