Smart Bandage

A smart bandage has been designed to provide early warning of infections.

16:37 29 November 2016

British scientists have developed a smart bandage that turned yellow when the wound underneath has been infected. They feature tiny “nanocapsules” that contain fluorescent dye, which is released when the nanocapsules come in contact with chemicals produced due to the presence of bacteria. 

 

By providing early warning signs of infections, it is hoped that the bandage will be able to save the NHS money as it has the potential of preventing antibiotic overuse, which in turn leads to bacteria becoming drug resistant. 

 

The bandages are currently being tested with burn victims at four UK hospitals, namely Southmead Hospital Bristol, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Queen Victoria Hospital East Grinstead.

 

Professor Toby Jenkins, who is leading the study, said: 'We believe our bandages have great potential to improve outcomes for patients, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and save the NHS money.

 

'These trials are an exciting and essential step towards getting the bandages into hospitals to help treat people, allowing us to find out exactly how well they work using real samples from patients. We hope as many people as possible agree to take part in the trial, which is completely non-invasive.'