Singapore Research Team Develops the World’s First Smart Bandage

What is a smart bandage? It’s a bandage that contains sensors to detect, within 15 minutes, changes to a range of biomarkers including skin temperature, pH levels, types of bacteria present, and signs of inflammation.

This first of its kind wearable bandage has been developed at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, at the National University of Singapore. It is designed to monitor chronic and recurrent wounds such as venous ulcers which commonly occur in older patients that are bedridden. These are wounds that fail to heal naturally and exhibit biochemical properties such as resistant bacteria, and immune cytokine evidence that prevents normal healing.

The team that created the smart bandage is led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck. Called VeCare, the bandage is described in an article entitled, “A flexible multiplexed immunosensor for point-if-care in situ wound monitoring,” which was published in the May 2021 issue of the journal Science Advances.

VeCare, see the image of the system below, is described as a “microfluidic multiplexed immunosensing platform” with wireless, flexible electronics capable of transmitting data to a smartphone or tablet app. The bandage contains gold nanoparticles to provide high-current density capable of measuring multiple biophysiochemical parameters.

The embedded chip transmits collected data wirelessly to the smartphone or tablet-based app. The chip is rechargeable.  The size of the sensor is 16 millimetres in diameter (about 0.63 inches) which is enough coverage for venous ulcers. It can be reduced by half with only a small decline of 5% effectiveness for wound monitoring.

VeCare has been subjected to clinical testing at Singapore General Hospital where it has been used with a small number of patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. The bandage has proven to be effective for assessing ulcerous wounds providing real-time data and rates of healing.

States Professor Lim Chwee Teck, “Point-of-care devices coupled with telehealth or digital health capability can play a significant role in transforming the healthcare industry and our society, which is catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic requirements for safe distancing. Our smart bandage technology is the first of its kind designed for chronic wound management to give patients the freedom to perform the test and monitor their wound conditions at home.” 

The design team has future plans for versions of the smart bandage that will incorporate additional biomarkers for monitoring other types of wounds. Clinical trial testing is planned for other non-healing chronic ulcers including wounds that develop with diabetics and pressure wounds from long periods of being bedridden.