Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on the Latest Wearable Tech: Electrically Charged Bandages?

There’s plenty we can do to fight the threat of infection when it comes to wound care – including washing the wound, covering it with a dressing, and applying ointment.

But soon, the bandage itself could help fight that infection, too.

Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing wants to introduce you to the electrically charged bandage that can fight infections!

Researcher at the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center developed the bandages that they say can prevent infections, combat antibiotic resistance, and enable healing in burn wounds.

How Does it Work?

The bandages are coated with a wireless electroceutical dressing (WED) that’s made of silver and zinc. When the fabric gets moist, it generates a weak electrical field that is said to combat what’s called biofilm infections. This type of infection accounts for at least 75 percent of bacterial infections in the United States, according to Dr. Chandan Sen, director of Ohio State’s Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Based Therapies. 

“The fact that wireless electric dressing is FDA-cleared and already in clinical use heightens the need to understand underlying mechanisms to enable optimal use,” Dr. Sen said. “Since it relies on electrical principles, it’s not subject to the mechanisms that may promote drug resistance. Understanding how this novel dressing may influence microbial, host and host-microbe interactions will determine the optimal use of this simple technology platform.”

Dr. Sen said that two separate experiments on pig skin were successful – one test treated an infected wound within two hours, and the other didn’t treat the infected wound until seven days had passed. 

While not yet on the market, the so-called e-bandage could be a staple in future first aid kits worldwide.

To learn more about Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit https://centershealthcare.com/topeka_center/.