The creators of a new electronic “bandage” claim to heal wounds 30% faster than traditional bandages by sending electrical signals directly to the injured area.
Developed by Northwestern University engineers, the innovation consists of elastic, flexible electrodes and an energy harvesting coil that powers the system and sensors to guide the healing process.
When the wound heals, the electrode dissolves, eliminating the need for extraction.
And in an animal study, even after 30 minutes, the new dressing healed diabetic ulcers in mice 30 percent faster than without the dressing.
Injuries disrupt the body’s natural electrical signals, but the new device restores them through electrical stimulation.
Guillermo Amir, of Northwestern, who co-led the study, said, “Our body relies on electrical signals to function. We tried to restore or restore a more normal electrical environment throughout the wound. We saw the cells quickly migrate into the wound and regenerate the skin tissue in the area. New blood vessels were found, including skin tissue, and inflammation was reduced.”
There are two electrodes on one side of the bandage. The electrodes are made of a metal called molybdenum, which is widely used in electronic and semiconductor applications.
When this mineral is thin enough, it can decay, meaning it can be lost without interfering with the healing process.
“We are the first to show that molybdenum can be used as a biodegradable electrode for anesthesia. After about six months most of it was gone. And we saw very little buildup in the organs. Nothing,” Amir told SWS. But the amount of metal electrodes we use to make these electrodes is very small, and we don’t expect them to cause any major problems.”
Sensors are also included so doctors can see how well a wound is healing without a follow-up appointment. They do this by measuring the resistance to electrical current in the wound.
As the wound heals, the electrical measurement decreases.
The team now plans to test the diabetic ulcer dressings in a larger animal model, with the hope of testing them in humans.
Because the bandage uses the body’s own healing power without releasing drugs or biological material, it faces fewer regulatory hurdles. This means that patients are likely to see it on the market sooner.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Arabic RT
