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In this context, a new, innovative, and cost-effective dressing has been developed that is both flexible and thin, designed to deliver an electrical current directly to the wound site. This dressing can be activated simply with water, according to a report published in Science Advances on the New Atlas website.
The dressing works by passing a low electrical current through the damaged tissue, speeding up the healing process by promoting the movement of skin cells (keratinocytes) to the wound area. Additionally, the electrical current helps reduce the risk of infection by eliminating bacteria.
Many other dressings designed for wound care have faced limitations, such as the inclusion of thick batteries or complex electronics that make them expensive and difficult to use. In some cases, a wireless power source is used instead of a battery, which limits the patient's mobility because they must remain near a magnetic field-emitting converter.
However, the new dressing, developed by a team of American and Korean scientists and called "WPED" (Water-powered Electronic-free Dressing), marks a significant advancement in this field. The dressing relies on two electrical electrodes and a thin layer of an integrated battery. It is a single-use adhesive dressing that is applied directly to the chronic wound. When the cellulose separator between the anode and cathode is moistened with water, the electrical current begins to flow through the damaged tissue, significantly enhancing the healing process.
This dressing is incredibly cost-effective, priced at just one U.S. dollar. It provides electrical stimulation for up to seven hours with a small amount of water. If the separator dries out, it can be rehydrated to extend the stimulation by an additional two hours, making it easy to replace the dressing once its effectiveness diminishes.
Laboratory studies on mice have shown that diabetic wounds treated with the WPED device healed 30% faster compared to wounds treated with traditional dressings. This promising result opens new possibilities for using this dressing to treat chronic wounds and improve patient healing in-home care settings, both safely and conveniently.