Unlike a typical bandage, which might only consist of layers of absorbent material, the smart bandages are made from a flexible and stretchy polymer containing embedded electronics and medication. 'There is a demand for technology that can facilitate recovery.' 'There are many different types of chronic wounds, especially in diabetic ulcers and burns that last a long time and cause huge issues for the patient,' Gao says. The paper describing the research, 'A stretchable wireless wearable bioelectronic system for multiplexed monitoring and combination treatment of infected chronic wounds,' appears in the March 24 issue of the journal Science Advances.

These smart bandages were developed in the lab of Wei Gao, assistant professor of medical engineering, Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar.

They are also a drain on health care systems, representing a $25 billion financial burden in the United States alone each year.Ī new kind of smart bandage developed at Caltech may make treatment of these wounds easier, more effective and less expensive. These kinds of chronic wounds are not just debilitating for the people suffering from them.

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