Electric Bandage May Spur Healing

At the time of his death, Christopher Reeve was being treated for a systemic infection caused by a pressure ulcer. About 30 percent of people with spinal cord injuries suffer from pressure wounds each year.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Engineering and its industry partner, Biofisica, have developed and are testing a new, self-contained, disposable bandage that delivers an electrical current to the wound site.

Electric fields have been used in many forms to stimulate healing, says Dale Feldman, PhD, UAB biomedical engineer and principal investigator for the study. Early results show a significant increase in healing for patients in the first three weeks. It seems to have the ability to jump-start non-healing pressure ulcers, a significant clinical result.

A new clinical trial starts at UAB in October.

Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham