06 Oct Oxygen Sensors In Skin Dressings Can Enhance Wound Repair
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Conor L. Evans, PhD
Assistant Professor Harvard Medical School
Wellman Center for Photomedicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Affiliate Faculty, Harvard University Biophysics Program
Charlestown, MA
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Evans: The main finding of this research is that topically applied rapid-drying wound dressings containing optical sensors for oxygen can be used to quantify skin oxygenation status in a way that reflects the viability of the underlying tissue, and therefore has the potential to aid in the clinical care for patients with burns, grafts and various other skin conditions.
MedicalResearch What was most surprising about the results?
Dr. Evans: The first “surprise” we encountered during our research was that the intrinsic fluorescence of skin is very strong. Direct visualization of the bandage emission is nearly impossible with the skin’s “autofluorescence” in the background. We overcame this potential limitation by using a long lifetime sensor molecule in combination with a precise delay in the camera exposure. This way, nearly all the background “noise” from the skin is rejected, and the oxygen-dependent signals are cleanly acquired.
Another challenge in the bandage development was to create a formulation that provides airtight seal between the bandage and skin. Different bandage materials were explored and the “liquid bandage” formulation was eventually chosen for its excellent skin-conforming property.
MedicalResearch What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Evans: The Sensing, Monitoring, And Release of Therapeutics (SMART) bandage being developed in our lab aims at providing clinicians with integrated wound dressings that serve as an objective tools for the assessment various skin/wound parameters including oxygenation, pH, bacteria load, etc. and will provide on-command release of therapeutics in a highly controlled fashion.
MedicalResearch What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Evans: There is tremendous room for future research in the field of bio-comfortable sensors. Oxygen sensor development will benefit greatly from synthetic chemistry efforts that keep pushing the limits of sensor brightness. Advances in miniaturized optical systems and smartphone technologies will make medical tools more accessible to patients and caregivers than ever before.
Citation:
Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 5, Issue 11, pp. 3748-3764 (2014)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.5.003748
Last Updated on October 6, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD