SURGICAL SITE INFECTION IN THE 21st CENTURY
Strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria taken from a vancomycin intermediate resistant culture (VISA)
The risk of surgical site infection following invasive procedures has always been a present danger. However, the rise of antibacterial resistance and hospital ‘superbugs’ have reduced doctors’ ability to prevent it. Patients undergoing routine operations like total hip replacements and C-sections are now at a higher risk of infection. A study from Lancet Infectious Disease reports that a decrease in drug efficacy of just 30% could lead to 6,300 more infection related deaths in the US alone [1]. Therefore, there is a clear and urgent need for a device which:
1. Protects wounds from outside contaminates
2. Reduces wound exposure to open air
3. Transmits information about the wounded region to the patient and doctor
A 21st CENTURY SOLUTION
Our company has created a novel wound dressing device that can observe the pH, oxygen, temperature, and nitric oxide levels of healing skin. The bandage then transmits this information visually, using color changing indicators. The dressing uses several coated paper strips which, when applied to the wounded area, will change color depending on the chemical/physical environment of the wound. The device comes with a cited user guide that indicates how to read each each color indicator, and how that reading pertains to the condition of the wound. In addition to protecting the wound like a conventional bandage, our product will further reduce exposure to the environment since the user will be able to see the condition of the wound without removing the dressing.
Our company has created a novel wound dressing device that can observe the pH, oxygen, temperature, and nitric oxide levels of healing skin. The bandage then transmits this information visually, using color changing indicators. The dressing uses several coated paper strips which, when applied to the wounded area, will change color depending on the chemical/physical environment of the wound. The device comes with a cited user guide that indicates how to read each each color indicator, and how that reading pertains to the condition of the wound. In addition to protecting the wound like a conventional bandage, our product will further reduce exposure to the environment since the user will be able to see the condition of the wound without removing the dressing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank our mentors, Dr. John Desjardins and Dr. Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez for their guidance during this project. Thank you to the AEMB MINDS Scholar Program for the resources and opportunity to complete this project!