With your average bandage, your options pretty much end at ‘fabric or plastic’. But researchers in Melbourne, Australia have successfully developed a new wound-covering material that would enable your bandage to talk.
It’s called the “Smart” bandage, and it works kind of like a mood ring. The special material (that’s woven into the bandage) reacts to the temperature of whatever lurks beneath it, and will change colour accordingly. Since infections are hot to the touch, these bandages will help indicate the presence of them more quickly than ever before. The bandages will also let you know of other healing issues, generally associated with lower temperatures.
The bandages will come with a calibrated chart that health care professionals can reference when determining the health of a patient’s wound. The creators of the “Smart” bandage believe that their product will effectively reduce health care costs in Australia and lead to far more rapid and targeted treatment of chronic wounds.
The team of researchers plan to launch the product within a six month timeframe, then move onto implementing its use in the industry to see how it stands up to everyday use.
(Via Red Ferret)
