ePatch offers better outcomes for wound heeling

The team at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) in California believe their so-called ePatch also offers ‘uniquely advantageous features’ for wound healing.

Electric field (EF) dressings activate the migration of skin and other granulation cells to the wound site, inducing blood vessel formation and controlling excessive inflammation. However, the bulkiness and inflexibility of their electrodes can result in conformational incompatibility with the wound.

For their ePatch solution the team chose silver nanowire electrodes that provide antibacterial properties and deliver high conductivity under strain. The electrodes are embedded in alginate, a gelatinous substance which maintains good moisture levels and biocompatibility and is presently used in absorbent surgical dressings.

Through a chemical modification of the alginate and the addition of calcium, the team produced a material increased electrode stability and function. Further adjustment of the silver nanowire/modified alginate ratio gave the team a flexible, precisely printable gel (bio-ink), which would produce a patch with customisable conformity to various wound shapes and sizes. In addition, the calcium added to the mix induced cell proliferation and migration to the wound site, promoting the formation of blood vessels.