Future personal tapes can track wounds and legends as needed

A smart band capable of monitoring and periodically transmitting medication into the wound was developed by a team of researchers from Tufts University. Although it is currently only a prototype, this technology can help completely change medical treatments, allowing doctors to monitor more closely the patient's condition and more proactive treatment.

Sameer Sonkusale, Tufts' engineering professor and head of the project, said: "What we are developing is a smart and flexible tape, containing a mixture of your drug inside. It has You can feel how the wound is healing to provide medicine in real time with the right dose to help heal wounds faster. "

This smart band also monitors and treats wounds to avoid infection.

As non-communicable diseases such as obesity and heart disease increase, chronic wounds - which heal at an unpredictable rate and do not follow the order of the usual stages - also increase. Chronic wounds are a big challenge for treating doctors, because they have to identify the underlying cause of chronic conditions, and monitor and treat wounds to avoid infection.

Sonkusale said: "The increase in diabetes and obesity leads to the rapid development of chronic wounds. This is one of the leading causes for patients to accept amputation. We believes that this smart flexible biometric technology has the potential to improve such wounds ".

Sonkusale and his team are developing a smart medical band that uses sensors to detect extremely sophisticated biomarkers that signal healing of the wound. A microprocessor reads data obtained by sensors, communicates with a mobile device and can control the tape to release medication if necessary.

This is the first type of tape that operates according to the "recirculation and reaction" mechanism.

For example, Sonkusale continued: "Can it feel that the wound has enough oxygen, is it at the right pH; is there any abnormal self-healing signs? What is the temperature near the wound? All of this information is transmitted to a central processor where doctors have programmed a drug release such as antibiotics, growth factors, to heal wounds. The first tape works according to the "recirculation and reaction" mechanism.

Over the years, researchers have introduced many new generation of bandages that can detect infection and monitor the healing process. Although these states have not yet been introduced to the market, Sokusale himself admitted that they need to improve much, but once the project is completed, many chronic wound-related diseases will be cured. treatment.

"It can be used to treat posture-related ulcers, burns and wounds from surgery. It can reduce complications from infection and the number of amputated cases," he said. Everything mentioned above becomes possible thanks to the ability to intervene at the right time to make the wound heal faster of the bandage. "