Scientists have succeeded in developing bandages that allow wounds to heal up to five times faster than with conventional dressings.
A revolutionary product. American and Chinese researchers have succeeded in developing self-powered electric bandages allowing wounds to heal up to five times faster than with conventional dressings, reveals a study published in the journal ACS Nano.
The device was developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and tested on mice. It is made up of several small electrodes which transmit electricity on contact with the skin. The latter are powered by a nano-generator placed around the torso to convert the respiratory movements of the rib cage into low-intensity electricity. This is then diffused at the level of the wound.
“The nature of these electrical impulses approximates the way the body generates an internal electrical field”, note the researchers according to which these weak electrical impulses would in no way injure healthy tissues of the body, unlike impulses with stronger pressure.
“Even more effective than what we expect”
In detail, the electricity would activate the skin’s fibroblasts, cells involved in skin elasticity and regeneration. These would have the ability to align more quickly, which would promote healing of the skin. Result of the races: thanks to this super bandage, the mice healed in three days against two weeks in normal times.
“We were surprised at how quickly the healing happened,” notes Xudong Wang, professor of engineering at UW-Madison. “We suspected that our bandages would have the effect but it was even more effective than what we expected”, he develops.
“The impressive results of this study represent an exciting discovery in terms of electrical stimulation for various types of wounds given the simplicity of the design of the device,” added Angela Gibson, Professor of Surgery at UW-Madison who participated in the project. .
A simple and inexpensive product to manufacture
“We think our device could be the most effective approach to electrical stimulation in a lot of therapies. I don’t think it costs more than a conventional bandage. The device itself is very simple and convenient to manufacture. “, continues Wang who now wants to launch trials on pigs before trying his product on humans.
In their next tests, scientists will try to uncover the mechanical process that causes low electrical frequencies to aid wound healing. If their research proves conclusive, the product should be available in hospitals within a few years.
While this is the first time electronic bandages have come this close to commercialization, scientists have long known that electricity helps to speed wound healing. In 2015, researchers from the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) had already tested this technique on patients. According to their study published in the journal Plos One, the wounds of the participants who had been treated with electric currents had diminished much more than those who had been allowed to heal naturally.
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