3D Printed Silicone Wound Care Dressing with Carbon Composite Structure Containing Porous Fibers for Reinforcement and Uniform Biocide Delivery

Overview

Mainstay of the treatment of wounds is the appropriate wound care dressing. The purpose of dressing is to provide a clean surface, inhibit the growth of pathogens in the wound using biocides, insert nutrients to promote wound healing and to provide cushion to avoid pressure on the wound. Available wound care dressings cannot deliver a constant level of biocides in the wound. As the biocide levels decline, it promotes bacterial resistance. Most dressings also lack the strength to protect the granulation tissue from external pressure. The objective of my research was to create a microporous dressing with carbon fiber reinforcement and an attached biocide regulatory mechanism. The hypotheses were that the microporous membrane would provide a mechanism to maintain constant levels of the biocide in the wound, while the carbon fibers would provide support against outside forces. A dressing was designed and prototyped using silicone and micropores were created. The carbon fibers were inserted to provide strength to the membrane. The shape and size of the dressing was customized by 3D printing. Using a standard FDA wound training dummy, three commercially available dressings were tested against the novel 3D printed dressing using saline and a standard infrared camera and hygrometer. Color images and temperatures were recorded. Results showed the wetness in the novel dressing lasted for over 25 hours-substantially longer than the other three commercially available dressings. In addition, 50g of weight was placed over the dressings, and lowest point of sag was measured. The sag of the microporous membrane was the least, indicating better strength. The hypotheses were supported. The major application of this dressing is that stable biocide concentration can be delivered for longer periods, thus reducing the required frequency of dressing change, and reducing bacterial infections associated with frequent dressing changes.

Awards (1)

Category Award: 4

Competition history

CSEF 2023 Mammalian Biology · Entry S1205

Resources

Related projects

ISEF · 2023