Innovation: Smart bandages for the treatment of chronic, non-healing wounds
Now, a group of researchers from Tufts University have done just that–developed a “smart bandage” that has the ability to monitor a chronic wound for infection, and deliver antibiotics, growth factors or even pain medicine if needed.
“The smart bandage we created, with pH and temperature sensors and antibiotic drug delivery, is really a prototype for a wide range of possibilities,” said Sonkusale. “One can imagine embedding other sensing components, drugs, and growth factors that treat different conditions in response to different healing markers.”
The idea of a using nanotechnology to help monitor the wound environment, but also deliver antibiotics, represents a novel approach to wound care that not only cuts down on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, but also reduces the need for multiple in-person or televisits with a health care provider.
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