WPED (Water-Powered Electronics-free Dressing)

2024: Product Release

In mid-August 2024, a team of American and Korean researchers announced the development of a new type of patch called WPED (Water-Powered Electronics-free Dressing), designed to accelerate the healing of wounds using electric current. Moreover, such a smart dressing is activated by ordinary wetting with water.

The project was attended by specialists from North Carolina State University, Columbia University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Korea University, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, etc. Electrical stimulation is known to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds, such as diabetic skin ulcers. When a weak electrical current passes through the damaged tissue, it accelerates the migration of keratinocytes (skin cells) to the wound area. It also helps kill bacteria.

Newatlas.com

Previously, attempts have been made to create bandages for electrical stimulation. But such products usually have a number of disadvantages: they turn out to be too bulky and/or expensive due to the use of electronic components and a thick battery, require an external power source, etc. In the new patch, the developers eliminated these shortcomings.

The product is an adhesive patch with two electrodes on the lower side and a thin flexible battery in the upper part. The battery consists of a magnesium anode and a silver chloride cathode, which are separated by a layer of cellulose with sodium chloride. While this layer remains dry, the power cell is in an inactive state. But after wetting with water, the battery goes into active mode, as a result of which electrical stimulation is carried out. The duration of such exposure reaches seven hours, and re-wetting gives another two hours. The patch costs about $1.^[1]

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