"Smart" bandage calls the doctor
Dressing from the future
Any wound should be treated, bandaged and treated. To do this, you need a doctor, a nurse and time spent waiting for your turn for an appointment. A lot of time. But in the future, a single "smart" bandage will be able to perform all these functions.
BBC journalists visited the American laboratory, which was jointly founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Scientists working in it are developing new, more effective methods of providing medical care. One of their projects was the development of a "smart" bandage. But why is he so smart?
1. It can monitor the woundAn electronic bandage is able to control the wound healing process without the direct participation of a doctor.
Numerous sensors are built into the bandage, which monitor the amount of oxygen in the wound, the pH level (acidity) and temperature.
2. He can intervene if something went wrongOn the inside of the bandage there are small containers with medicines.
Medications are delivered to the wound as needed. At the command of the bandage, a special heating element is turned on. As a result of heating through the shell of the drug pocket, the drug begins to flow directly to the destination.
3. He can contact a doctorThe bandage sends signals to the attending physician's computer.
If something is wrong with the wound, for example, a bacterial infection has arisen, the doctor immediately sends an antibiotic to the wound by simply pressing a button. The antibiotic is initially located in one of the medicine pockets, but it enters the wound only if necessary.
It is not yet clear whether "smart" bandages will become part of the medical routine. Scientists need to find additional funding to improve the model and bring it to a commercial sample. If the tests are successful, the "smart" bandage will become a reality in two years.
The idea of using electronics to create high-tech dressings is becoming increasingly popular. If successful, they will solve the main problem of standard bandages.
If the wound is left unattended for too long, an infection can develop in it. And the constant change of dressings also increases the chance of penetration of pathogenic bacteria. In both cases, the healing process is slow and difficult.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru26.02.2015