Description:
Reference #: 01364
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Gel-within-Gel Dressing for Wound Debridement
Background:
Keeping wounds moist is beneficial for wound healing. Additionally, several growth factors in wound exudates are good for healing. Therefore, various kinds of wound dressings are being developed. Many wound dressings have been developed to try to both protect the healing wound from infection and also to help promote the wound healing process itself. A moist occlusive dressing helps support the inflammatory phase and also increases the rate of re-epithelialization additionally, a limited amount of exudate retained on the wound allows for autolytic debridement.
Invention Description:
The present invention relates to a wound dressing incorporated with alginate microspheres to control the condition of a wound to encourage the healing process. The wound dressing comprising alginate hydrogel to maintain the wound sufficiently moist so as to absorb or to eliminate the formation of dry crusty scar tissue at the wound site. Also, it absorbs fluids and materials exuded from the wound, including dead leucocytes, epidermal and dermal cells. Incorporation of microspheres as a new design reduce Young`s modulus and increase elasticity. Also reduce dehydration rate of the dressing compared to the design without microspheres.
Potential Applications:
there remains a need for an improved wound dressing which is biodegradable and loaded with various components aimed at preventing infection and facilitating wound healing. Alginate dressings are suitable for partial- and full-thickness wounds with moderate to heavy exudate and usually do not require frequent dressing changes. They can be applied to different wound problems including ulcers, sunburns, traumatic injuries, hemorrhoids, bedsores, diabetic wounds, and ischemic syndromes such as coronary or peripheral arterial disease and angiogenesis-dependent disease. Moreover, they can be used alone or in combination with other products and debridement techniques specifically surgical debridement. The combination of alginate matrix with microspheres will improve elasticity, and dehydration capacity of dressings.
Advantages and Benefits:
Despite the wide variety of wound dressings available, chronic wounds is still a serious medical condition with limited available dressing options that simultaneously manage the moist wound environment, absorb wound exudates, and leave no residues in the wound bed when the fluid is removed. Nevertheless, there have significant progress in development of dressings designed to promote debridement including thin films, honey, alginates, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, and PMDs. Medihoney, a topical autolytic debriding agent, and has moderate anti-infection and debriding properties. Other disadvantages associated with Medihoney include allergic reaction, low efficacy and longer debridement and healing time. The present invention allows for better execution on wound management.