Background/problem
Post-operative surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a significant healthcare challenge, with a 1% to 3% incidence rate and potential for severe complications if not detected early. Current monitoring methods, which rely heavily on patient self-reporting and scheduled clinical visits, often lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment, in turn leading to severe complications, rehospitalization, and substantial healthcare costs. Also, traditional methods do not provide continuous monitoring, leaving significant gaps between scheduled post-operative visits. These gaps can result in missed early warning signs of infection. There is a clear need for an objective, continuous, and reliable method to monitor surgical wounds remotely. Such a solution would ensure early detection and treatment of infections, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
Tech overview/solution
The “Infection Detective” is an innovative microneedle patch embedded in a waterproof bandage designed by UT researchers for post-operative surgical wound monitoring. This monitoring device integrates three key components:
- a polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold with microneedles to extract dermal interstitial fluid
- a microfluidic array for fluid transport
- a NASA-developed SansEC inductive sensor to measure changes in the fluid’s dielectric properties
These measurements, which indicate infection-related changes in pH and temperature, are transmitted in real-time to a smartphone application. The app uses machine learning to analyze the data, categorizes the wound condition, and providing healthcare professionals with timely alerts to potential infections.
Benefits/competitive advantage
- Continuous monitoring: Provides objective, continuous wound monitoring, preventing severe complications
- Real-time data: Transmits data in real-time for remote monitoring and early diagnosis
- Machine learning: Uses machine learning for enhanced diagnostic accuracy
- Microfluidic technology: Ensures accurate, semi-continuous fluid sampling
- Passive sensor: Utilizes NASA’s SansEC sensor for efficient, multi-parameter measurements
