An All-In-One Self-Degradable Flexible Skin Patch with Thermostatic Control and Spontaneous Release of Antibacterial Ions to Accelerate Wound Healing

Smart wound dressings supply new techniques for wound management. Nevertheless, techniques to combine microenvironment control of the wound beds and spontaneous release of antibacterial agents while reducing secondary injury of the wound due to frequent replacement of wound dressings have not been sufficiently developed. Here, this work proposes a degradable and flexible skin patch that can assist wound healing through the combined effect of thermostatic control, slow release of antibacterial metallic ions, and humidity control. The skin patch features a degradable zinc-silver (Zn-Ag) gird line heater and a Zn temperature sensor fabricated through screen printing and water sintering. The sintered degradable patterns of Zn-Ag and Zn offer electrical conductivities of 307664.4 and 72400 S m(-1), enabling closed-loop thermostatic control of the wound under a temperature range of 43 +/- 2 degrees C. The gradual degradation of the nanocomposites in a humid environment has resulted in an antibacterial effect with more than 99% antibacterial efficiency (AE) on the wound site due to the release of Ag and Zn ions. The skin patches have been demonstrated to improve wound healing in rats and rabbits by 18.35% and 51.57%, respectively. The flexible skin patch revolutionizes the wound treatment procedure by replacing traditional wound dressing with degradable materials and flexible circuits.

Automated summary

This research proposes a degradable and flexible skin patch that promotes wound healing through thermostatic control, slow release of antibacterial metallic ions, and humidity control. The skin patch features a degradable zinc-silver (Zn-Ag) gird line heater and a Zn temperature sensor, enabling closed-loop thermostatic control of the wound. The gradual degradation of the nanocomposites in a humid environment results in an antibacterial effect with more than 99% antibacterial efficiency (AE) on the wound site.