ePatch (electrical patch)

History

2022: Flexible electrical patch created for rapid wound healing

On April 20, 2022, a Joint Group from the Terasaki Biomedical Innovation Institute announced that it has developed a smart flexible electric patch (ePatch) that fully solves the problems that arise when using existing devices to stimulate the electric field, and has many unique advantages.

The team of specialists chose silver nanowires as electrodes, which not only have antibacterial properties, but also provide high conductivity under voltage. They then decided to place the electrodes in alginate, a gelatin substance that maintains a good level of humidity and biocompatibility and is used in absorbent surgical dressings.

By chemically modifying the alginate and adding calcium, those skilled in the art were able to obtain a material that increased the stability and functionality of the electrodes. By further adjusting the ratio of silver nanowires to modified alginate, it was possible to obtain a flexible, workable gel, also called bio-ink, which made it possible to create a patch with the ability to adapt to various forms and sizes of the wound. In addition, calcium added to the mixture stimulated cell proliferation and migration to the wound site, which in turn contributed to blood vessel formation.

To make the e-Patch, the template was applied to the silicone sheet and bio-ink was applied to it. After the bio-ink solidified, the template was removed.

"By carefully selecting materials and optimizing the gel composition, we were able to develop a multifunctional, easy-to-manufacture and cost-effective electronic patch that will greatly facilitate and accelerate wound healing," said TIBI researcher Han-Yoon Kim.

The useful properties of the electronic patch developed by the team were confirmed by several series of experiments. Mechanical tests showed that the e-Patch showed improved stability and conductivity of the electrodes, and the results of the deformation tests showed good resistance, at a level corresponding to normal skin deformation.

Tests carried out on cells cultured on e-Patch showed that e-Patch patches with impulse EP stimulation showed significantly faster proliferation, migration, aggregation and orientation of cells, as well as increased secretion of growth factors - all factors contributing to faster wound healing.

Other experiments confirmed the antibacterial properties of silver nanowire electrodes used in electronic patches, and it was shown that this property does not depend on the amount of EP stimulation used.

In other experiments, the adhesion of cells to the silicone component of the patch was tested and silicone was found to provide an effective non-sticky surface for the cells. This feature helps to ensure less skin damage and excessive scarring.

"Our ePatch patch offers an unprecedented combination of optimal characteristics for accelerated wound healing," said TIBI Director and CEO Ali Khademhosseini. "This is one of many excellent examples of the work we do as part of our personalized biomaterials platform."

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