Fabric wound compress accurately applies medication

Skin is a complex and vulnerable organ, as millions who suffer from chronic wounds (such as pressure sores and infections) can attest. Health professionals treat chronic wounds with meticulous hygiene, medication and compresses for best results. New research from the Hohenstein Institute, Boennigheim, Germany, may improve the odds of healing intractable skin wounds.

The Institute, in partnership with the Society for the Promotion of Medical, Biological and Environmental Technologies (GMBU), Dresden, Germany, developed a compress that integrates and continually delivers effective ingredients to the wound. In the nanosol wound compress, cellulose fibers coated with a suspension of silicon dioxide spheres bind medications. When the fibers contact moisture, a continual and predictable dose is delivered to the wound. The new compress eliminates uncertainty among health professionals about how much medication has been applied to the wound. It also eliminates one potential route of infection by avoiding hands-on application of ointments or salves.

Researchers imbedded various substances into the nanosol matrix, including antibacterials, a vitamin precursor (dexpanthenol) known to promote skin regeneration and several healing proteins. In preparation for eventual large-scale production, the Institute is using ingredient concentrations that guarantee the stability of the compress for at least 10 days. For more information, visit www.hohenstein.de.