A recent EurekAlert! article reported on a high-tech new option for dressing a severe wound. A team of engineers at Tufts University has created a prototype smart bandage that replaces passive treatment with a move active healing option that monitors wound conditions and delivers drugs. The bandage is tailored to treat non-healing chronic wounds that overwhelm the regenerative capabilities of the skin and can lead to recurring infection and even amputation.
The bandage contains pH and temperature sensors that track infection and inflammation and deploy heat and drugs as needed. The bandages tested successfully under in vitro conditions, and the team has already begun pre-clinical studies to determine the benefits relative to traditional bandages.
