‘Smart bandage’ can detect infection

University of Rhode Island (URI) assistant professor Daniel Roxbury (left) and former URI graduate student Mohammad Moein Safaee (right) have created a continuous, noninvasive way to detect and monitor an infection in a wound by embedding nanosensors in a “smart bandage.” Single-walled carbon nanotubes within the bandage identify an infection in a wound by detecting concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, Roxbury says. The smart bandage is monitored by a miniaturized wearable device, which detects the signal and transmits it to a smartphone. It is hoped that the device will diagnose an infection early, necessitating fewer antibiotics and preventing drastic measures, such as limb amputation. This could be particularly useful in the chronic wound management of patients with diabetes. Testing has focused on small bandage samples, but the technology can be applied easily to much larger ones. Photo: Negar Rahmani.