Smart bandage with wireless connectivity for uric acid biosensing as an indicator of wound status

• A wireless smart bandage biosensor for uric acid (UA) is presented
• Uric acid is an important and specific biomarker of wound status
• Excellent analytical performance is demonstrated in vitro
• A viable screen-printing process is demonstrated on bandage material
• A wearable potentiostat with wireless connectivity to a PC is shown

Advanced wound care technologies need to evolve in response to the growing burden of chronic wounds on national healthcare budgets and the debilitating impact chronic wounds have on patient quality of life. We describe here a new type of smart bandage for determination of uric acid (UA) status, a key wound biomarker, formed by screen printing an amperometric biosensor directly on a wound dressing. Immobilized uricase, paired with a printed catalytic Prussian blue transducer, facilitates chronoamperometric detection of uric acid at a low working potential. The smart bandage biosensor interfaces with a custom designed wearable potentiostat that provides on-demand wireless data transfer of UA status to a computer, tablet, or Smartphone by radio frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communication (NFC). The analytical performance of the smart bandage—sensitivity, selectivity, operational stability, and mechanical robustness—is described. Application of these bandages will provide insight into wound status and may reduce the frequency at which dressings are changed, allowing for healthcare cost savings and a reduction in patient stress and pain.

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