Smart Bandage Can Detect Wound Condition and Transmit Information Wirelessly

Swansea University’s Institute of Life Science is leading the development of a smart bandage that can detect how a wound is healing and report back its condition via real-time 5G technology. This allows doctors to monitor the wound without removing the dressing and re-applying the bandage. Plus, since it can report in real-time, doctors and nurses can keep track of the wound’s improving or deteriorating condition at a much faster rate and get a better picture of its condition. The detailed analysis of the wound will also allow clinicians to tailor much more specific treatment protocols compared to the traditional method which could take months before figuring out whether a treatment is effective or not.

The program is part of a  £1.3bn Swansea Bay City deal which aims to create a 5G test hub for digital innovation, and Professor Marc Clement, chairman of the ILS believes that “5G is an opportunity to produce resilient, robust bandwidth that is always there for the purpose of healthcare.” The smart bandage could be trialed within the next 12 months and will go through the Arch Wellness and Innovation project in South Wales with their partner the Welsh Would Innovation Centre.

“What the future holds is a world where there’s the ability to vary the treatment to the individual, the lifestyle and the pattern of life. Sometimes we revere doctors so much that we tell them all is well but all of the evidence is there before them in this 5G world, so the clinician and patient can work together to address the challenge.” says Professor Clement. “What we’re creating within this city deal, is an ecosystem that can prove concept, prove business, manufacture locally and take innovation to a global marketplace.” he added.