New water-powered electric bandages help heal wounds quicker

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

A water-powered electric bandage can heal serious wounds 30% quicker than conventional treatments, according to a new study.

The cheap-to-produce dressing uses an electric field to promote healing in "chronic" wounds and other injuries, say scientists.

Wounds treated in animal testing with the electric bandages healed 30 percent faster than wounds treated with conventional bandages, according to the findings published in the journal Science Advances.

Chronic wounds are defined as open wounds that heal slowly if they ever heal at all. For example, sores that occur in some patients with diabetes are chronic wounds.

Doctors say such wounds are "particularly problematic" because they often recur after treatment and significantly increase the risk of amputation and even death.

They explained that one of the key challenges associated with chronic wounds is that existing treatment options are extremely expensive, which can create additional problems for patients.

Study co-author Dr. Amay Bandodkar, of North Carolina State University , said: “Our goal was to develop a far less expensive technology that accelerates healing in patients with chronic wounds.

“We also wanted to make sure that the technology is easy enough for people to use at home, rather than something that patients can only receive in clinical settings.”

Co-author Professor Sam Sia, of Columbia University , said: “This project is part of a bigger project to accelerate wound healing with personalized wound dressings.

“This collaborative project shows that these lightweight bandages, which can provide electrical stimulation simply by adding water, healed wounds faster than the control, at a similar rate as bulkier and more expensive wound treatment.”

The American-led international research team developed water-powered, electronics-free dressings (WPEDs), which are disposable bandages with electrodes on one side and a small, biocompatible battery on the other.

The dressing is applied to a patient so that the electrodes come into contact with the wound.

A drop of water is then applied to the battery, activating it. Once activated, the bandage produces an electric field for several hours.

Co-author Dr. Rajaram Kaveti, also of North Carolina State University , said: “That electric field is critical because it’s well established that electric fields accelerate healing in chronic wounds."

The electrodes are designed so that they can bend with the bandage and conform to the surface of the chronic wounds, which are often deep and irregularly shaped.

Dr. Kaveti said: “This ability to conform is critical because we want the electric field to be directed from the periphery of the wound toward the wound’s center.

“In order to focus the electric field effectively, you want electrodes to be in contact with the patient at both the periphery and center of the wound itself.

"And since these wounds can be asymmetrical and deep, you need to have electrodes that can conform to a wide variety of surface features.”

Co-first author Maggie Jakus, a graduate student at Columbia University , said: "We tested the wound dressings in diabetic mice, which are a commonly used model for human wound healing.

“We found that the electrical stimulation from the device sped up the rate of wound closure, promoted new blood vessel formation, and reduced inflammation, all of which point to overall improved wound healing.”

The team found that mice who received treatment with WPEDs healed about 30% faster than mice who received conventional bandages.

Dr. Bandodkar said: "It is equally important that these bandages can be produced at relatively low cost – we’re talking about a couple of dollars per dressing in overhead costs.”

Co-author Professor Aristidis Veves, of Beth Israel Deaconess Center teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, said: “Diabetic foot ulceration is a serious problem that can lead to lower extremity amputations.

“There is urgent need for new therapeutic approaches, as the last one that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration was developed more than 25 years ago.

"My team is very lucky to participate in this project that investigates innovative and efficient new techniques that have the potential to revolutionize the management of diabetic foot ulcers.”

The research team says the WPEDs can be applied quickly and easily.

Once applied, patients can move around and take part in daily activities.

That means patients can receive treatment at home and are more likely to comply with treatment as they are less likely to skip treatment sessions or take shortcuts, according to the researchers.

Dr. Bandodkar added: “Next steps for us include additional work to fine-tune our ability to reduce fluctuations in the electric field and extend the duration of the field.

"We are also moving forward with additional testing that will get us closer to clinical trials and - ultimately - practical use that can help people."

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