Biodegradable Self-Powered Electrotherapy Patch for Integrated Smart Wound Management

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Wearable devices offer potential for real-time physiological monitoring and proactive interventions.
• Current wound healing management lacks integrated systems for continuous monitoring and targeted therapy.
• Flexible electronics raise environmental concerns due to disposal challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biodegradable wearable electrotherapy patch (E-patch) for enhanced wound healing.
• To integrate noninvasive electrical stimulation (ES) therapy with multiplexed electrochemical biosensors for wound status monitoring.
• To create a self-powered, environmentally friendly system for smart wound management.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a biodegradable E-patch with integrated supercapacitor arrays (SCs) for self-powered ES.
• Development of a multiplexed electrochemical biosensor array for detecting wound biomarkers.
• In vitro studies to assess the effect of electric fields (EF) on cell behavior.
• In vivo investigations using a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model to evaluate wound healing acceleration.

Main Results:

• The E-patch successfully integrated ES therapy and biosensing capabilities.
• Applied EF in vitro significantly promoted cell-directed alignment crucial for tissue regeneration.
• In vivo studies demonstrated that the combination therapy dramatically accelerated wound healing in rats.
• The fabricated E-patches exhibited harmless biodegradation post-operation.

Conclusions:

• The biodegradable wearable E-patch represents a promising strategy for integrated smart wound management.
• The self-powered system enables real-time monitoring and therapeutic interventions for tissue regeneration.
• This approach offers a sustainable alternative to conventional flexible electronics in wearable therapeutic systems.