NIR-Induced Power-Effective Smart Bandage for Wound Infection Monitoring and Accelerated Healing.

Abstract

An advanced bandage integrating sensing and therapeutic components for effective physiological monitoring and treatment presents promising potential for chronic wound healing. However, functional components in most bandages are integrated by wires, limiting the wearer's comfort of a soft-hard interface. Herein, a biocompatible smart flexible bandage, containing a reduced graphene oxide/polyacrylamide hydrogel (rGO/PAM Gel) therapeutic dressing and Au/rGO modified biosensor, has been designed. Owing to the photothermal capability of rGO/PAM Gel, the local temperature of the bandage significantly increased under NIR irradiation. High temperature accelerates infected wound healing by killing bacteria, while the bandage sensors enhance biomarker detection. Enriched target molecules and enhanced photo-electrocatalytic activity acquire high sensing performance. Moreover, <i>in situ</i> animal studies demonstrate that a smart wearable bandage could effectively monitor wound exudate biomarkers (<i>i.e.</i>, uric acid) and accelerate healing with maximum light energy efficiency. This work provides a power-efficient approach to facilitate the immediate clinical intervention of wound care management.