A skin-like biomedical technology that uses a mesh of conducting nanowires and a thin layer of elastic polymer might bring new electronic bandages that monitor biosignals for medical applications and provide therapeutic stimulation through the skin.
The biomedical device mimics the human skin’s elastic properties and sensory capabilities.
“It can intimately adhere to the skin and simultaneously provide medically useful biofeedback such as electrophysiological signals,” said Chi Hwan Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering at Purdue University. “Uniquely, this work combines high-quality nanomaterials into a skin-like device, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties.”
The device could be likened to an electronic bandage and might be used to treat medical conditions using thermotherapeutics, where heat is applied to promote vascular flow for enhanced healing, said Lee, who worked with a team that includes Purdue graduate student Min Ku Kim.
Traditional approaches to developing such a technology have used thin films made of ductile metals such as gold, silver and copper.
“The problem is that these thin films are susceptible to fractures by over-stretching and cracking,” Lee said. “Instead of thin films we use nanowire mesh film, which makes the device more resistive to stretching and cracking than otherwise possible. In addition, the nanowire mesh film has very high surface area compared to conventional thin films, with more than 1,000 times greater surface roughness. So once you attach it to the skin the adhesion is much higher, reducing the potential of inadvertent delamination.”
Findings are detailed in a research publication appearing online in October in Advanced Materials. The paper is also available online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201603878/full and was authored by Kim; postdoctoral researcher Seungyong Han at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Purdue graduate student Dae Seung Wie; Oklahoma State University assistant professor Shuodao Wang and postdoctoral researcher Bo Wang; and Lee.
The conducting nanowires are around 50 nanometers in diameter and more than 150 microns long and are embedded inside a thin layer of elastomer, or elastic polymer, about 1.5 microns thick. To demonstrate its utility in medical diagnostics, the device was used to record electrophysiological signals from the heart and muscles. A YouTube video about the research is available at https://youtu.be/tYRebHNi6p4.
“Recording the electrophysiological signals from the skin can provide wearers and clinicians with quantitative measures of the heart’s activity or the muscle’s activity,” Lee said.
Much of the research was performed in the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue’s Discovery Park.
“The nanowires mesh film was initially formed on a conventional silicon wafer with existing micro- and nano-fabrication technologies. Our unique technique, called a crack-driven transfer printing technique, allows us to controllably peel off the device layer from the silicon wafer, and then apply onto the skin,” Lee said.
The Oklahoma State researchers contributed theoretical simulations related to the underlying mechanics of the devices, and Seungyong Han synthesized and provided the conducting nanowires.
Future research will be dedicated to developing a transdermal drug-delivery bandage that would transport medications through the skin in an electronically controlled fashion. Such a system might include built-in sensors to detect the level of injury and autonomously deliver the appropriate dose of drugs.
Learn more: Biomedical ‘skin-like bandage’ is stretchy, durable and long lasting
The Latest on: Electronic bandages
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Electronic bandages” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Electronic bandages
- Proposed nursing shortage fix riles unionson April 30, 2024 at 7:00 am
Nurses’ unions oppose the compact because they see it as a bandage that keeps lawmakers from considering longer-term solutions, like safe staffing laws and better wages. And some worry about the ...
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Medical Adhesive Bandages in Patients Who Report Having a Reaction to Medical Bandageson April 27, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Background: Medical adhesive bandages are extensively used in both inpatient and outpatient medicine. However, few reports describing proven allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from medical adhesive ...
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Medical Adhesive Bandages in Patients Who Report Having a Reaction to Medical Bandageson April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Additionally, patients that had reactions to the tapes and bandages did not share any common allergic patch-test reactions from the standard or custom adhesive trays, further supporting the fact ...
- Bianca Censori’s feet wrapped with bandages while on Disneyland date with Kanye Weston April 17, 2024 at 6:18 pm
The shoeless beauty had only bandages covering her feet as she strolled around the California theme park with the rapper, who had on an all-white ensemble — that included shoes. Censori ...
- 10 Best Bandage Brandson April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Twin pack containing two boxes of 100-count each of Band-Aid Brand Flexible Fabric Adhesive Bandages in assorted sizes for first aid and wound protection of minor wounds, cuts, scrapes and burns ...
- Evidence of Dangerous ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Bandageson April 5, 2024 at 1:50 pm
Many brands of bandages may contain PFAS chemicals, according to a new report commissioned by Environmental Health News (EHN) and the consumer watchdog site Mamavation. Of the 40 bandages they ...
- Bandages have harmful 'forever chemicals', says studyon April 5, 2024 at 12:06 am
A new study has revealed that bandages, which are used to cover wounds, contain toxic amounts of per- and polyfluorinated substances or PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals. The study was ...
- New Study Finds ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Major Bandage Brands Like Band-Aid, Curad, Up & Upon April 4, 2024 at 5:00 pm
A new study has uncovered signs that “forever chemicals” may be lurking in adhesive bandages from major brands like Band-Aid and Curad and offerings from retail giants CVS, Walmart ...
- ‘Forever Chemicals’ Linked to Some Band-Aids and Adhesive Brands from Wal-Mart and CVSon April 4, 2024 at 1:02 pm
An independent lab test claims that PFAS may be present in the adhesive or absorbent pads on some common adhesive bandages BAND-AID; Equate/Walmart A new report claims that a type of “forever ...
via Bing News