"Smart Bandage" to Accelerate Wound Healing

Each of us is inseparable from oxygen, not only for breathing, but oxygen is also our “helper” for wound healing. Oxygen plays a key role in the healing process, whether your injury is a burn, a knife wound, or a surgical transplant wound. So far, the way we judge whether a wound has healed is to remove the bandage and observe the wound. If the wound is not healed, it is very likely that the wound will be infected, leaving indelible scars.

Harvard Medical School professor Conner L. Evans has developed a distinctive bandage that allows us to examine healing without exposing the wound. This bandage incorporates a phosphor that absorbs light and releases it. When there is a lack of oxygen in the wound, the phosphor in this bandage will turn red, and if there is enough oxygen, it will show green light.

This glow effect on the bandage was triggered by the "light source" developed by the researchers. Researchers say that this light source can be captured by using a camera on a smartphone. They hope that this product can be used and promoted as soon as possible.

In addition to showing the oxygen content of the wound, this bandage has other functions: it can monitor the oxygen supply around the entire wound. For example, if there is a lack of oxygen somewhere in the wound, it can remind the doctor to pay more attention to this wound.

Evans said that this bandage can be applied to three areas. First, chronic wounds, such as those caused by diabetes. Evans said that this type of trauma will cost the health care system $25 billion a year.

In addition, oxygen is also important for burns, especially if the wound needs to be cleared of necrotic tissue to heal again. Without an accurate assessment of the effects of oxidation, the doctor may “transition” to clear the necrotic tissue or remove it, resulting in decreased tissue function and even sequelae.

Another area of ​​application is organizational transplantation. When the tissue is transplanted, it needs a new transplant area to provide enough oxygen to survive. If the blood supply or oxygen is insufficient, the transplanted tissue may cause cell necrosis. There are many reasons for the lack of oxygen supply, such as venous congestion. Therefore, in the process of tissue transplantation, it is very important to accurately determine the oxidation effect.

Currently, researchers are studying wound coverings, which they call SMART bandages. In addition, they are developing more powerful phosphors to enhance the "oxygen sensing" function, and they will add more parameters to the bandage, such as oxygen pH and bacterial content. Finally, the researchers are also developing new ways to make this bandage automatically apply to the wound.

This technology forecast will bring some help to portable medical technology.