While it’s important to check wounds for infections, removing the dressing in order to do so can be disruptive to the healing process. A new smart bandage could help, by “glowing” in a certain way if an infection is beginning.
Developed by scientists at the University of Rhode Island, the experimental bandage contains modified single-walled carbon nanotubes, which are securely embedded within the dressing’s individual polymer fibers. This arrangement keeps the nanotubes from leaching into the wound, yet still allows them to react to chemical compounds within the wound site.
Plans now call for the bandage to be tested on live cultured cells in petri dishes, potentially followed by testing on lab mice.
The research is described in a paper that was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Smart bandage would use light to indicate infections [New Atlas]