A Wireless and Reusable OLED Patch for Accelerated In Vivo Skin Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Dermatology

Background:

• Phototherapy offers a noninvasive approach to wound healing.
• Existing devices often lack convenience, requiring wired power or rigid designs.
• Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) present a promising light source for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fully wireless, reusable red OLED patch for noninvasive skin wound phototherapy.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the OLED patch in accelerating wound closure and improving tissue regeneration.
• To assess the safety and usability of the device for home-based treatment.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a skin-conformal patch integrating a USB-C rechargeable battery, flexible PCB, and red OLED emitter (645 nm).
• In vitro characterization of OLED performance (uniformity, heat, radiance stability over 500 hours).
• In vivo testing in a murine full-thickness wound model, assessing wound closure, collagen synthesis, epidermal differentiation, and inflammation post-irradiation.

Main Results:

• The wireless OLED patch delivered uniform 645 nm light with minimal heat and stable radiance for over 500 hours.
• A single phototherapy session significantly accelerated wound closure in mice.
• Treatment increased collagen synthesis, enhanced epidermal differentiation, reduced inflammation, and promoted tissue maturation.

Conclusions:

• The developed wireless OLED patch provides a convenient and effective platform for home-based skin wound phototherapy.
• This electroceutical device shows significant potential for personalized dermatologic care and regenerative medicine.
• The reusable, skin-conformal design overcomes limitations of previous wired or rigid systems.