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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 choose another one on Friday July 20 2018, @08:01AM (1 child)
Exactly how many dressings do you think are recycled currently ?
Compression bandages maybe. Probably most of the bandages used for film/tv/cosplay but that's about it. Anything that's been next to an open wound is going in clinical waste for incineration.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday July 20 2018, @04:35PM
Which was the point. "Enhance" simple bandage materials which are not too terrible to dispose of (many have some plastic, and weird glue, but it's literally mostly fluff) by adding chips that hard to recycle, especially when soiled, takes eons to degrade, and are not recommended to burn.