Ways Smart Bandages Can Benefit Healthcare

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Introduction

Smart Bandages use technology to improve wound healing. They have sensors connecting to physical and chemical factors. Through these sensors, Smart Bandages detect, regulate, and record these factors, potentially increasing the rate of healing. Compared to normal bandages, Smart Bandages allow physicians to better address various wound types. Regarding function, Smart Bandages usually have a thin electronic layer which can assist with interpretation of the injured site. However, Smart Bandages can have different sensors incorporated within them, leading to different functions. These different sensors allow for different types of Smart Bandages, such as thermal sensors, pH sensors, and wound pressure sensors. In this blog, I will detail three ways how Smart Bandages can be applied to benefit healthcare.

Medication Delivery

Smart Bandages could be utilized as a means to deliver medication. For example, microbeads containing medication could be implemented into a smart bandage. Sensors in a smart bandage's electronic layer can sense various skin conditions that can warrant the deliverance of medication onto the wound site. The electronic sensors in a smart bandage allow for automatic conditioned deliverance of medications, potentially reducing the need for manual checks for wound site condition. However, the importance of manual checks by licensed physicians can remain, as errors of sensors on smart bandages would need to be addressed, else a minute or major consequence could occur (The Wound Pros, 2024).

pH Sensors

Smart bandages can act as pH sensors. Thermoresponsive materials can sense the temperature of the wound. Different colors can be assigned to different pH conditions, to provide a visual assessment of the wound's condition. Using this visual aid, practitioners can recognize signs of inflammation. This is because inflammation tends to increase the warmth of the affected area. In addition, pH sensors can signal signs of infection. Skin pH is normally slightly acidic around 5.5. However infections may raise the pH of skin, which allows bacteria like Staphylococcus Aureus to thrive in a neutral to basic environment (Market.Us, 2023).

Electroactive Wound Healing

Some smart bandages can use electric wound healing. Electrical stimulation can promote regeneration and increase blood flow to the wounded area. Electroactive smart bandages are low current so that they do not injure the underlying tissue. It is important for electroactive smart bandages to have controlled current levels and reliable components, so they do not cause serious complications in chest areas, such as disturbance of heart rhythm. It is also important for electroactive smart bandages to be able to resist external factors that could impair their function (Market.Us, 2023).

Conclusion

Smart bandages could assist health care through delivering medication, monitoring skin conditions through pH, and electroactive stimulation. I look forward to their utilization in healthcare as they use novel techniques that could promote more efficiency and less manual regulation in wound healing. However, I also hope that the smart bandages go through enough research and testing so that they can be applied efficiently to the general population without significant social and economic complications.

References

Market.Us. (2023, June 14). Smart bandages statistics: Transforming wound care with cutting-edge technology. GlobeNewswire News Room. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/06/14/2687847/0/en/Smart-Bandages-Statistics-Transforming-Wound-Care-with-Cutting-Edge-Technology.html

The Wound Pros. (2024, March 14). Smart Bandages: The Future of Wound Care?. Smart Bandages The Future of Wound Care | Wound Care. https://www.thewoundpros.com/post/smart-bandages-the-future-of-wound-care