This Smart Bandage Tracks Your Wound's Healing Process, Without Unnecessary Dressings
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have created tiny sensors that can be installed below a bandage and track the healing process as well as the speed of a wound. The sensor will make small mechanical measurements - much like how a doctor would prod a lump - and will tell us how the tissue is changing.
Today we have fitness trackers on our wrists (in the form of smart watches) that not only track the amount of steps we take, but also our heart rate as well as track the ECG!
However this new tracker technology definitely takes things to a whole new level.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have created tiny sensors that can be installed below a bandage, and track the healing process as well as the speed of a particular wound.
Dr Michael Crichton, along with Dr Jenna Cash, a specialist in wound healing immunology from the University of Edinburgh, are working together on the two-year project. They want to 'understand what actually happens in a wound.'
According to Crichton, many researchers have worked on biological properties of wounds, but very little research has actually been done to know the physicalities that are involved in the healing of a wound, especially in microscale levels where advancement is happening at sub-hair width levels.
Dr. Micheal Crichton states, 'We're working to create a small sensor that can be embedded in a bandage to measure changes in a wound's properties without interfering with the process.
He further adds, 'The sensor will make small mechanical measurements - much like how a doctor would prod a lump - and will tell us how the tissue is changing, or whether the wound needs a different dressing or treatment.'
Heriot-Watt University/PA
Dr Crichton tracked small, micro-scale advancements happening to the body¡¯s tissue
Right now, one can see the healing-status of the wound either by looking at the wound or with the level of pain experienced by the patient. The entire process of opening up a wound just to see its healing status can get really annoying and uncomfortable for the patient, especially ones with severe injuries or wounds.
However, when this sensor comes into place (which is actually smaller than a grain of sugar) it will not only track the healing process, but also alert the patient and medical practitioners if it requires their attention.
