Researchers are developing a smart medical dressing that improves healing from burns, skin grafts and chronic wounds.
The smart medical bandage made of silk fiber and nanodiamond effectively detects the temperature of the wound, helping to detect the first signs of infection, senior researcher Dr Asma Khalid of RMIT University said in an article. of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces on October 13.
Traditional management of skin wounds is a big challenge for physicians. This job requires checking for infection regularly for signs of redness, inflammation, and swelling.
However, once these visual signs appear, the inflammation is already advanced, making interventional therapy more difficult. New technology allows healthcare workers to detect infections at an early stage without having to remove dressings for examination, a process often painful for patients, and speeds up the recovery process.
“Non-invasive thermography offers a way to monitor wound condition with greater accuracy than current visual assessment methods,” said Dr Christina Bursill of the Institute of Health and Medical Research South Australia, co -author of the study.
To integrate heat sensing into medical bandages, the team embedded diamond nanoparticles into silk fibers using an electrochemical process. Not only are they sensitive to biological temperature, but silk membranes containing nanodiamonds have also been shown to have very high antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria, one of the main pathogens responsible for infections.
“Smart medical dressings can detect the first signs of infection, protect wounds against certain bacteria, and help maintain the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the area. The new technology will provide an effective and cost-effective solution for the care and wound healing, ”Khalid said.
