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[...] "We've been able to take a new approach to bandages because of the emergence of flexible electronics," said Sameer Sonkusale, Ph.D. professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University's School of Engineering and corresponding co-author for the study. "In fact, flexible electronics have made many wearable medical devices possible, but bandages have changed little since the beginnings of medicine. We are simply applying modern technology to an ancient art in the hopes of improving outcomes for an intractable problem."
The pH of a chronic wound is one of the key parameters for monitoring its progress. Normal healing wounds fall within the range of pH 5.5 to 6.5, whereas non-healing infected wounds can have pH well above 6.5. Temperature is also an important parameter, providing information on the level of inflammation in and around the wound. While the smart bandages in this study combine pH and temperature sensors, Sonkusale and his team of engineers have also developed flexible sensors for oxygenation – another marker of healing – which can be integrated into the bandage. Inflammation could also be tracked not just by heat, but by specific biomarkers as well.
Could smart bandages be re-usable?
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday July 20 2018, @12:27AM (2 children)
If it can survive in an autoclave, it's not likely to be electronics. Also, autoclaves seem to have pretty much disappeared.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday July 20 2018, @01:53AM (1 child)
What do you mean? Plenty of electronics can handle extreme temperature, pressure, and humidity - just not common consumer electronics, because why would they? Such capabilities usually comes at a price, and very few people run their electronics through an autoclave, undersea vent, etc.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 20 2018, @03:01PM
If you can immerse the bandage in a sterilizing solution, then you could re-use it. If you could refill its reservoirs of medication, you could re-use it many times.
The trick is to stop calling it a bandage, and call it a "healing sleeve" or something. It would be like the Ace bandage you keep in the medicine cabinet to wrap your ankle or knee whenever you strain it. Get a cut on your arm? Put the healing sleeve on and go about your day. You could even put piezoelectric components or motion-capture [vanderbilt.edu] to help power the thing as you go about your day.
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