Integrated sensing and delivery of oxygen for next-generation smart wound dressings

TLDR

Chronic wounds affect more than 6.5 million Americans, and inadequate oxygenation of the wound bed is a key treatable factor that current systems cannot simultaneously measure and deliver. We created a low‑cost, paper‑based, flexible platform that continuously generates and senses oxygen locally in the wound area. The platform exploits recent advances in flexible microsystems by printing on paper substrates with inkjet technology to produce a biocompatible, locally oxygen‑generating and sensing patch. In vitro the patch raises oxygen by 13 % (≈5 ppm) in one hour and measures 5–26 ppm, while in vivo studies confirm its biocompatibility and ability to double or triple wound‑bed oxygen to clinically relevant levels.

Abstract

Abstract Chronic wounds affect over 6.5 million Americans and are notoriously difficult to treat. Suboptimal oxygenation of the wound bed is one of the most critical and treatable wound management factors, but existing oxygenation systems do not enable concurrent measurement and delivery of oxygen in a convenient wearable platform. Thus, we developed a low-cost alternative for continuous O 2 delivery and sensing comprising of an inexpensive, paper-based, biocompatible, flexible platform for locally generating and measuring oxygen in a wound region. The platform takes advantage of recent developments in the fabrication of flexible microsystems including the incorporation of paper as a substrate and the use of a scalable manufacturing technology, inkjet printing. Here, we demonstrate the functionality of the oxygenation patch, capable of increasing oxygen concentration in a gel substrate by 13% (5 ppm) in 1 h. The platform is able to sense oxygen in a range of 5–26 ppm. In vivo studies demonstrate the biocompatibility of the patch and its ability to double or triple the oxygen level in the wound bed to clinically relevant levels.