Wound healing monitored in real time with electronic suture

The research team has successfully developed an electronic suture that can monitor changes in inflammation around wounds in real time. The electronic suture is expected to significantly contribute to wound care and personalized care in various fields of medicine. The results were published in the journal Advanced functional materials.

The wound healing process is very complex and highly dependent on the surrounding environment. If healing is delayed due to improper care, the wound can become chronic, which can potentially lead to amputation, disability, and even death. It is especially important to constantly and carefully monitor the condition of a chronic wound and diagnose infections early.

Although a variety of wound care devices have been developed to perform this function, most are bandages or patches. These devices can only diagnose a wound at the skin’s surface and therefore have limited ability to accurately assess wound healing or inflammation deeper than the skin’s surface layer.

To address this issue, a team led by Professor Jaehong Lee from the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Professor Jungseung Lee from the Department of Global Biomedical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Professor Jungseung Lee’s team at Sungkyunkwan University, developed a suture-based wound monitoring system that can monitor wound inflammation inside and outside the body over a long period of time.

While the system works like a standard surgical suture used to close wounds, it can also detect changes in wound inflammation at the suture site in real time.

Traditional surgical sutures are used only to close the wound. However, the developed electronic suture adds the function of continuous monitoring of the wound inflammation, which allows for more effective wound treatment in practice.

The electronic suture can detect wound inflammation in real time to help receive proper treatment. It can also detect infectious conditions at an early stage, ensuring that treatment is not missed and helping the wound heal more effectively.

“This study increases the likelihood of using electronic suture technology in medical practice,” said Professor Jaehong Lee. “We will research more actively not only in the development of electronic sutures but also in the field of wearable healthcare devices that can measure various types of vital signs.”

Provided by DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)