Intelligent Bandage Innovation

A prototype medical dressing that could save children’s lives.

Researchers at the University of Bath say the dual-purpose bandage will react when burns wounds become infected.

They’ve been testing fabric, covered with microscopic bacterial matter.

[Dr. Toby Jenkins, Senior Lecturer at University of Bath]:
„Firstly it will automatically release an antibiotic, or an anti-microbial, directly into the wound. This will have the advantage for clinicians, that they will not have to intervene directly. The wound will sense what’s going on and if it feels itself to be infected it will respond completely automatically. The second thing it will do will be to change color, at the same time alerting a clinician or a nurse or a patient, him or herself, that infection is starting to take place in the wound environment.“

Infections in burns wounds can lead to toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.Two years ago, 13-month-old Isambard Ebbutt poured a boiling cup of tea over himself. He was rushed to a specialist unit at Frenchay Hospital with 32 percent burns to his face and body. Infection was an ever present risk, as mother Natalie recalls.

[Natalie Ebbutt, Mother of Isambard]:                                                                                                                                                                                                                     „It was partly a waiting game to see whether he would develop an infection and when they show signs of, which he did, his temperature rose, shows signs of there being an infection present, and ..but I believe that the further development is very very exciting in the way that it’s going to release a dye if there’s an infection present, which potentially gets them ahead of the game again, and could potentially save more lives.“

Surgery to coat Isambard’s skin with a temporary covering allowed him to heal fully, without the need for grafts.

The prototype dressing is some years from production. Franchay’s Burns Specialist, Amber Young:

[Dr. Amber Young, Paediatric Burns Specialist at Frenchay Hospital]:
„The formal research project only started a few weeks ago and we hope to get with Bath University, who are the science behind this project, a prototype dressing out in the next five years, so we’re at the start of the science. But we see children with serious burns all the time here and our big worry is this toxic shock syndrome. To be able to potentially do something about it will be a huge achievement.“

The six million dollar project is being funded by the European Commission and involves partners across Europe and Australia.

The dressing has potential for ulcer wounds, and could also be used on the battlefield.

Foto: NTDTV