Purdue Researchers Use an mHealth Wearable to Improve Wound Care

Engineers at Purdue University have developed an mHealth wearable that uses ozone to improve wound care at home.

The connected health platform consists of a disposable, gas-permeable patch that covers the wound and a reusable battery-powered device that can be attached to one’s belt. The device creates ozone gas, which is piped to the wound, helping it to heal more quickly.

“We created a revolutionary type of treatment to kill the bacteria on the surface of the wound or diabetic ulcer and accelerate the healing process,” Rahim Rahimi, an assistant professor of materials engineering at Purdue, said in a press release. “We created a low-cost wearable patch and accompanying components to deliver ozone therapy.”

In a report recently published in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Rahimi and his team noted that topical ozone therapy “has shown to be a promising alternative approach for treatment of non-healing and infected wounds by providing strong antibacterial properties while stimulating the local tissue repair and regeneration.” The challenge lies in the technology, which is often large and complex, and restricted to clinical settings.

Tested on two of the most common forms of bacteria found in wounds, the platform eliminated P. aeruginosa and significantly reduced the number of S. epidermidis colonies after six hours of use, while also showing little to no effect on the surrounding tissue.

“Developing a portable system designed to apply ozone to a targeted area will increase the options patients have in fighting infections that may otherwise be difficult to treat,” they concluded.

Some 6 million Americans live with chronic wounds, costing the health system roughly $20 billion each year, and many others incur injuries that need to be monitored on a regular basis by care providers – most often through a visit to hospital, doctor’s office or clinic. Then there’s the alarming increase in antibiotic-resistant infections, forcing providers to be more vigilant in antibiotic stewardship.

Telemedicine and mHealth companies are starting to take a look at that segment of the industry, spurred by an increase in remote patient monitoring programs for home health care and chronic care management. With wearable devices, sensor-embedded patches and bandages and telehealth platforms, providers want to be able to monitor patients at home rather than sending care teams to them or having them come in for an appointment.