Photo Credit: Sam Million-Weaver/University of Wisconsin-Madison
Now that’s what I call super science.
Don’t you hate when you have that nagging wound that just won’t go away? Scientists believe that soon, little bursts of electricity may help your wounds heal quicker.
A team of scientists out of the University of Wisconsin have been working on a new bandage that could help speed up the healing process with electricity produced from our own movements.
The group had been working on a nanogenerator for quite some time. When they realized the healing power of electricity, they decided to try it out on human skin to heal wounds much quicker.
They did this by creating a bandage that contained small electrodes. The electrodes would connect to the nanogenerator inside of the bandage. As people move, mild electrical pulses would travel through the skin to the affected area.
The team tested their experiment on a group of injured rats. One group of rats were given the special bandage, while another group of rats received nothing. The group of rats that received no treatment healed in about two weeks, while the group of rats that received treatment healed in three days.
The bandage is very easy to wear, and most people do not ever feel the electrical impulses. And, since the impulses are so small, tissue is not damaged by any of the zaps. The next goal is to try out the bandage on larger animals and eventually people. The team believes that the design will work, and this will be the future of healing our wounds.
The team then hopes to create an even more sensitive nanogenerator. They hope that the bandage could be activated by something as simple as our own pulse. If successful, this would speed up the healing process even more.
Pretty amazing to think about what a little electricity and our own movements can do to help our damaged cells heal themselves. It is truly electrifying!
