Smart Bandages: Faster Recovery And Closer Monitoring Of Wounds

Most of us exercise caution when participating in demanding activities like working out and less strenuous tasks like sitting. Unfortunately, when the right time comes, everyone must suffer an injury, regardless if they’re at work or at home.

The pain reminds you to be cautious, while the scar gives you a passionate story. And an invention by Stanford University researchers may improve healing.

Stanford University researchers have created a smart bandage that monitors your healing status and helps treat wounds. Smart bandages reduce the time you need for an injury to heal while reducing vulnerability to infections that could delay your healing.

The smart bandage is almost the same size as the average bandage; only it has unique features.

A smart bandage has wireless circuitry using electrical stimulation to accelerate tissue closure while reducing your chances of infection. The electronic layer features a microcontroller unit and biosensors, and a hydrogel layer acts as a courier for electrical stimulation of your injured tissues.

Your healing is monitored through the bandage connected to your smartphone.

Yuanwen Jiang, one of the minds behind the bandage, believes that a smart bandage protects your wound while it heals and endorses it as an active healing device that may transform the care and treatment of chronic wounds.

So far, the data appears promising, but researchers must address the need for different bandage sizes that could cover bigger wound areas and reduce production costs.

Researchers should also consider possible adverse effects of hydrogel on your skin to avoid irritation on those with sensitive skin. Most people are hopeful and delighted because the smart bandage shall provide a new standard of care to patients with recurrent conditions.