Wound healing facilitated by electrical activity

This technology is a device that uses electrical activity to facilitate the wound healing process while protecting the wound. The bandage is made of an electroactive material (pictured above) that is stimulated by the heat of the body and the pressure of cell growth, thus no external power source is required.

Benefits

*Speeds the wound healing process
* Combines active healing and wound protection into one
* Slim, self-contained alternative to electrical stimulation devices for accelerated wound healing
* Minimizes infection and related complications (e.g., illness, amputation)

Applications

* Military personnel wounded in the field
* Hospital patients who have undergone surgery
* General patients who have suffered a serious wound
* Astronauts in space

The Technology

PVDF scaffold close-up. Image credit: NASA
PVDF scaffold close-up. Image credit: NASA
An electroactive device is applied to an external wound site. This method utilizes generated low level electrical stimulation to promote the wound healing process while simultaneously protecting it from infection. The material is fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, a thermoplastic fluoropolymer that is highly piezoelectric when poled. The fabrication method of the electroactive material is based on a previous Langley invention of an apparatus that is used to electrospin highly aligned polymer fiber material.