Isn’t it time that band-aids, which have changed little since their invention in 1920, got a high-tech update? German engineers certainly think so, and that’s why they have created “smart” bandages that turn purple at the first sign of infection.

The new bandage insulates injuries just like any other bandage, but the dressing also contains a special dye that reacts to different pH values.

Typically, healthy skin and healed wounds have a slightly acidic pH, around 5 or 6. A higher pH value that reaches into the alkaline range could indicate infection.

So, if the pH value is between 6.5 and 8.5, the new bandage will turn purple. This will allow doctors and patients to monitor for infection without having to change dressings, which often times exposes the wound to germs.

The researchers, who developed the bandage dressing at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich, also hope to integrate an optical sensor into the it. The sensor could measure pH values and indicate the results on a screen, providing precise data about whether a wound is getting better.

The EMFT team plans to test the bandage in a hospital soon, and ultimately wants to produce it commercially. No word yet on whether the band-aids will be printed with smiley faces, Batman, or Dora the Explorer.

Image: Fraunhofer EMFT via Gizmag

Filed under: Biomedical, Chemical, e-News

Tags: Biomedical, Chemical