The first temporary electronic bandage heals 30% faster

Bandages also monitor the healing process and alert clinicians to problems in real time.

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a first-of-its-kind small, flexible, stretchy bandage that promotes healing by delivering electrotherapy directly to the wound site. It was published of scientific progress.

In animal studies, the new bandages healed diabetic ulcers 30% faster than unbandaged mice.

The bandages also actively monitor the healing process, harmlessly dissolving the electrodes and all into the body after they are no longer needed. Ulcers in diabetics can lead to a variety of complications, including limb amputation and even death.

This study is the first bioabsorbable dressing capable of delivering electrotherapy and the first example of a smart regeneration system.

“When a person is injured, the goal is always to close the wound as quickly as possible. Guillermo Ameer, ScDDaniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, and surgery PhD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who co-led the study. “Otherwise, open wounds are more susceptible to infection. And for diabetics, infections are even more difficult to treat and more dangerous. There is a great unmet need: our new bandages are cost effective, easy to apply, adaptable, comfortable and effective in closing wounds to prevent infection and further complications. .”

“Even though it’s an electronic device, the active components that connect it to the wound bed are fully resorbable,” said the Northwestern doctor. Dr. John A. RogersLewis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Materials Science and Engineering, Professor of Biomedical Engineering neurosurgery in McCormick and Feinberg, who co-led this research. “So the material naturally disappears once the healing process is complete, avoiding possible damage to the tissue caused by physical extraction.”

Ameer, an expert in regeneration engineering, Advanced Regenerative Engineering Center (CARE) and the National Institutes of Health-funded predoctoral regenerative engineering training program.

Rogers also directed Query Simpson Bioelectronics Laboratory.

power of electricity

Approximately 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and approximately 15-25% of that population will develop diabetic foot ulcers at some point in their lives. Diabetes can cause nerve damage that leads to numbness, so diabetics can experience simple blisters and minor scratches that go unnoticed and go untreated.High glucose levels also thicken capillary walls. This slows blood circulation, making it more difficult for these wounds to heal.

Researchers wanted to know if electrostimulation therapy could help close these stubborn wounds, which Ameer says can disrupt the body’s normal electrical signals. The application of electrical stimulation restores the body’s normal signals and attracts new cells to migrate to the wound bed.

“Our bodies rely on electrical signals to function,” says Ameer. “We tried to restore or promote a more normal electrical environment across the wound. We observed that the cells rapidly migrated into the wound and regenerated the skin tissue in that area. It contained new blood vessels and reduced inflammation.”

Historically, clinicians have used electrotherapy for healing. However, most of that equipment includes wired and bulky equipment that can only be used under supervision in a hospital environment. To design a more comfortable product for his 24/7 wear at home, Ameer partnered with bioelectronics pioneer Rogers. Introducing the concept of bioabsorbable electromedicine 2018.

Remote controller

The two scientists and their team eventually developed a small, flexible bandage that gently wraps around the injured area. One side of the smart regeneration system he contains two electrodes. One is a small flower-shaped electrode just above the wound bed, and the other is a ring-shaped electrode that sits on top of the healthy tissue and surrounds the entire wound. The other side of the device contains an energy harvesting coil to power the system and a Near Field Communication (NFC) system to wirelessly transfer data in real time.

The team also included sensors that can assess how well wounds are healing. By measuring the resistance of the current through the wound, doctors can monitor progress. The gradual decline in current measurements is directly related to the healing process. So if the current stays high, the doctor decides something is wrong.

By incorporating these functions, the device can be operated remotely without wires. From a distance, doctors can decide when to apply electrical stimulation and monitor wound healing progress.

“When a wound is trying to heal, it creates a moist environment,” says Ameer. “Then it should dry out as it heals. Moisture changes the current, so it can be detected by tracking the electrical resistance of the wound. That information can then be collected and transmitted wirelessly. Wound Care Management So, ideally, we want to close the wound within a month, and if it takes longer, that delay could cause concern.”

In small animal model studies, researchers applied electrical stimulation for as little as 30 minutes a day. Even this short time accelerated closing by 30%.

act of disappearance

Once the wound heals, the flower-shaped electrodes will melt into your body and will not need to be removed. The team created electrodes from a metal called molybdenum. Molybdenum is widely used in electronic and semiconductor applications. They found that molybdenum is biodegradable if thin enough. Moreover, it does not interfere with the healing process.

“We are the first to show that molybdenum can be used as a biodegradable electrode for wound healing,” said Ameer. “After about half a year most of it was gone. And we found that there was very little accumulation in the organs. Nothing unusual. But the amount of metal they use to make these electrodes is It’s so low that I don’t think it’s going to cause much of a problem.”

Next, the team plans to test the diabetic ulcer bandage in a larger animal model. Bandages face few regulatory hurdles because they harness the body’s own healing powers without releasing drugs or biologics. This means patients may see it on the market much sooner.

The study “Bioabsorbable Wireless Battery-Free System for Electrotherapy and Impedance Sensing at the Wound Site” was supported in part by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases and CARE. Co-first author is Joseph Song, a PhD candidate in Northwestern Biomedical Engineering.