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Ambient Light-Activatable Luminescent Particle-Embedded Conformal Patch for Photochemical Tissue Bonding and
Kyungjoo Jo1, Seong-Jong Kim1, Seung Oh Jung2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|July 4, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel stretchable photonic patch that uses ambient light for phototherapy. The patch accelerates wound healing and improves skin condition, offering a new approach to biophotonic treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biophotonics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Biophotonic devices for photochemical tissue bonding (PTB), photobiomodulation (PBM), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PTT) face limitations in clinical use.
- These limitations include shallow light penetration and reliance on external, often inflexible, light sources like LEDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stretchable photonic patch capable of ambient light-activated phototherapy.
- To demonstrate the patch's efficacy in promoting tissue regeneration and wound healing without external light sources.
Main Methods:
- Integration of room light- and sunlight-activatable luminescent particles (RSLPs) into an elastomeric matrix to create a stretchable patch.
- Utilizing the patch to absorb ambient light and emit red luminescence for therapeutic effects.
- Evaluating the patch's performance in promoting PTB, fibroblast proliferation, macrophage polarization, collagen crosslinking, and wound sealing.
- Assessing accelerated wound healing in linear and circular wounds and clinical effects on human facial skin.
Main Results:
- The photonic patch enables ambient light-activated phototherapy, converting broadband light into red luminescence.
- The emitted luminescence promotes PTB, fibroblast proliferation, and M1/M2 macrophage polarization, leading to tissue regeneration and wound sealing.
- The patch demonstrated accelerated wound healing and improved skin viscoelasticity and erythema in clinical studies.
- The conformal patch maintained optical performance during movement, allowing continuous phototherapy.
Conclusions:
- The developed ambient light-activatable biophotonic patch offers a promising platform for PTB and PBM.
- This technology overcomes limitations of conventional biophotonic devices, enabling continuous, convenient phototherapy.
- The patch has broad potential for various biomedical applications, including advanced wound care and skin treatments.
