A research team in Singapore has created a wearable sensor attached to a transparent bandage
The bandage is being tested on patients with chronic venous ulcers, or leg ulcers caused by circulation problems in veins.
Researchers in Singapore have created a smart bandage that allows patients’ chronic wounds to be monitored remotely via an app on a mobile device, potentially saving them doctor visits. A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore developed a wearable sensor attached to a transparent bandage that can track healing progress by collecting data such as temperature, bacteria type, and pH and inflammation levels.
“Traditionally when someone has a wound or ulcer, if it’s infected, the only way to examine it is through looking at the wound itself, through visual inspection,” said Chwee Teck Lim, lead researcher at the university’s department of biomedical engineering.
“If the clinician wants to have further information then they will obtain the wound fluid and send to the lab for further testing,” he said. “So what we’re trying to do is use our smart bandage to cut the number of hours or days to just a few minutes.”
The “VeCare” technology will allow patients to recover more at home and only visit a doctor when necessary. The bandage is being tested on patients suffering from chronic venous ulcers, or leg ulcers caused by vein circulation problems.
According to Lim, data collection on the wounds by researchers has been effective thus far, and the smart bandage could potentially be used for other wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers.
