PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Roorkee
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), in collaboration with the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed a smart, self-powered electronic bandage that uses natural body movement to generate electrical signals that can support wound healing, without requiring a battery, wires or an external power source.
The technology, called 3D-MIDAS (3D Monolithic Integrated Dipolar-Ionic Fibrous Architectural Scaffold), converts mechanical energy produced when the flexible material stretches during natural body movement into electrical stimulation. In simple terms, the movement of the body can help power the bandage, the researchers claimed.
Wound healing is a complex process, and the natural electrical signals that help guide cells during tissue repair can be disrupted when skin is injured. The 3D-MIDAS approach is designed to provide electrical stimulation at the wound site while also offering a flexible, breathable structure that helps manage wound fluid.
Congratulating the research team, the director, IIT Roorkee, Prof K K Pant said that this work is a strong example of how advanced materials and interdisciplinary research can be directed towards a practical healthcare need.
Speaking of the achievement, the principal investigator, IIT Roorkee, Prof. Kaushik Parida said that they wanted to address a basic limitation of many existing electrical wound-healing systems, the need for an external power source. “With 3D-MIDAS, the movement of the body itself provides the mechanical energy needed to generate electrical stimulation,” he added.
In animal studies, wounds treated with the 3D-MIDAS dressing showed approximately 90–95 per cent wound closure within 13–15 days, along with enhanced formation of new blood vessels, the researchers said.
