The bandage consists of electrically conductive fibers
A microcontroller no larger than a postage stamp, which could be triggered by a smartphone or other wireless device, sends small amounts of voltage through a chosen fiber. That voltage heats the fiber and its hydrogel, releasing whatever cargo it contains.
A single bandage could accommodate multiple medications tailored to a specific type of wound, the researchers said, while offering the ability to precisely control the dose and delivery schedule of those medications. That combination of customization and control could substantially improve or accelerate the healing process, said Ali Tamayol, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering at Nebraska.
"This is the first bandage that is capable of dose-dependent drug release," Tamayol said. "You can release multiple drugs with different release profiles. That's a big advantage in comparison with other systems. What we did here was come up with a strategy for building a bandage from the bottom up.
"This is a platform that can be applied to many different areas of biomedical engineering and medicine."
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-smart-bandage-faster.html#jCp
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