Optimization of Dye and Plasticizer Concentrations in Halochromic Sensor Films for Rapid pH Response Using...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Technologies
• Chemical Sensing

Background:

• Wound pH is a critical indicator of healing, with alkalinity often signaling infection.
• Chronic wounds require reliable methods for real-time pH monitoring.
• Existing methods may be invasive or lack speed for effective wound management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel halochromic sensor film for wound pH monitoring.
• To utilize advanced algorithms for efficient formulation optimization.
• To enable rapid, non-invasive pH assessment in chronic wound environments.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a halochromic film using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and bromothymol blue (BTB).
• Application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and ReliefF for feature selection.
• Optimization using bird-inspired metaheuristic algorithms (Parrot Optimizer, Pelican Optimization Algorithm, Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm) to determine optimal BTB and PEG concentrations.

Main Results:

• The optimized film (0.02% BTB, 6% PEG) demonstrated superior performance, identified by the Parrot Optimizer.
• Achieved a 23.15% reduction in color transition time (3-5 minutes) compared to the non-optimized film.
• Bromothymol blue concentration significantly impacted response time (p=0.01), while PEG concentration did not (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• The developed halochromic sensor film provides a promising tool for real-time, non-invasive wound pH monitoring.
• Metaheuristic optimization efficiently identified the best sensor formulation.
• This technology has the potential to improve the management of chronic wounds by enabling timely detection of unfavorable pH conditions.