Wireless closed-loop smart bandage for chronic wound management and accelerated tissue regeneration

Abstract

Chronic non-healing wounds represent a major source of morbidity for patients and a significant economic burden. Current wound care treatments are generally passive and are unable to adapt to changes in the wound environment in real time. By integrating multimodal sensors and adding stimulators in a bandage, real-time physiological monitoring is possible and provides an opportunity for active intervention into the complex wound environment. Here, we develop a battery-free flexible bioelectronic system consisting of wirelessly powered, closed-loop sensing and stimulation circuits with tissue-interfacing tough conducting hydrogel electrodes for robust signal transduction, on-demand adhesion, and detachment. Using multiple pre-clinical models, we demonstrate the capability of our wound care system to continuously monitor skin impedance and temperature, to trigger directional electrical stimulation. The accelerated wound closure was confirmed to be due to the activation of pro-regenerative genes linked to accelerated wound closure, increased neovascularization, and enhanced dermal recovery.