The very first adhesive bandage, commonly known as the Band-Aid, was allegedly developed in 1920 by a Johnson and Johnson employee whose newlywed wife had a habit of nicking her fingers while cooking dinner. It’s taken almost 100 years and a lot more intent, but it appears a team of engineers at MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering might have finally come up with it.
According to Newsweek, Xuanhe Zhao and his team have designed a new hydrogel bandage, which is made of highly absorbent polymer chains.
This material allows for the bandage to be stretched up to twice its size to better cover wounds in those notorious difficult areas, such as the knees and elbows, where constant flexion is required. Another innovative feature is that the hydrogel contains electronic components embedded into the bandage.
With capabilities to transmit data right to a person’s smartphone, these electronic components will provide users with things like monitoring the condition of the wound; “smart wound dressing,” in which drug reservoirs could be built into the bandage and released in accordance with the sensors; and other essential information healthcare professionals could use to better treat such conditions.
One of the most common downsides to traditional bandages is that many people are allergic to the latex or adhesive component. Known as contact dermatitis, the most common allergic reaction to an adhesive is in the form of a rash, according to the National Institute of Health.
Although it’s unclear exactly the kind of allergic properties this hydrogel might have, it was designed to be able to adhere to nonporous material and even perhaps internally. For example, Zhao believes it could even be used to send neural probes to the brain.
“The brain is a bowl of Jell-O,” Zhao said. “Currently, researchers are trying different soft materials to achieve long-term biocompatibility of neural devices.”
Being a hub of medical and healthcare innovation, thanks in part to the University of Rochester, bandages like Zhao’s could come to the area sooner rather than later. For now, however, it is still a ways away from commercial use, yet it’s an interesting step in the evolution of everyday medicine.
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