Optimization of Wireless Electroceutical Dressings in Wound Healing for Burn Victims

The purpose of the proposed interdisciplinary research is to investigate how the electrochemistry of Wireless Electroceutical Dressings (WEDs) can be optimized to fight infection and promote healing in the wounds of burn victims. One of the most common secondary complications is infection, since bacteria and microbes are able to enter the human body freely in the absence of a protective layer of skin. Infection has been determined to be the leading cause of death in approximately 61% of all reported burn victim cases. Once inside the body, bacteria readily form biofilms to shield themselves from antibiotics and increase resistance to treatment by humans. As a result, an anti-biofilm treatment method is necessary to eliminate the biofilm barrier that currently exists when treating disease. A proof of concept for the nanofabrication of an alternative, Biomimetic Wireless Electroceutical Dressing (BWED) that increases bacteria-disruptive microcurrents through optimization of electrode design (material, geometry, volume, and/or circuitry) will be discussed. This feasibility study entails monitoring the growth of various bacterial colonies cultured from common locations in the environment (e.g. cell phone, door knob, elevator buttons) in the presence of various BWED configurations. The research will attempt to show whether BWEDs work better at decreasing the growth of bacteria colonies when compared to a control group with no BWED present. This information will be used to determine the most promising electrode designs to optimize and fabricate in the future