We report on an innovative, fabric-based conformable, and easily fabricated electroceutical wound dressing that inhibits bacterial biofilm infections and shows significant promise for healing chronic wounds. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrates the ability of the electroceutical to produce reactive oxygen species, primarily HOCl that is responsible for bacterial inhibition. In vitro investigation with the lawn biofilm grown on a soft tissue mimic assay shows the efficacy of the dressing against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in the biofilm form. In vivo, the printed electroceutical dressing was utilized as an intervention treatment for a canine subject with a non-healing wound due to a year-long persistent polymicrobial infection. The clinical case study with the canine subject exhibited the applicability in a clinical setting with the results showing infection inhibition within 11 days of initial treatment. This printed electroceutical dressing was integrated with a Bluetooth® enabled circuit allowing remote monitoring of the current flow within the wound bed. The potential to monitor wounds remotely in real-time with a Bluetooth® enabled circuit proposes a new physical biomarker for management of infected, chronic wounds.

Objectives: To describe the use of an innovative printed electroceutical dressing (PED) to treat non-healing, infected chronic wounds in one dog and one cat and report outcomes. Animals: A 4-year-old female spayed Mastiff and a 1-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat.Study Design: Short case series. Methods: Both cases had chronic wounds (duration: approximately 1 year for the dog and 6 3/4 months for the cat) that remained open and infected despite various wound management strategies. Both animals were treated with the PED. Observations from the records regarding wound size, antimicrobial susceptibility, and the time to healing were recorded. Results: After 10 days of PED treatment in the dog and 17 days of PED treatment in the cat, the wounds had decreased in size by approximately 4.2 times in the dog and 2.5 times in the cat. Culture of punch biopsies yielded negative results. Wounds were clinically healed at 67 days in the dog and 47 days in the cat. No further treatment of the wounds was required beyond that point. Conclusion:Application of a PED led to closure of two chronic wounds and resolution of their persistent infection. Clinical Significance: PEDs may provide a new treatment modality to mitigate infection and promote healing of chronic wounds.

A flexible silver-zinc fabric-based primary battery that is biocompatible, conformable, and suitable for single-use wearable biomedical devices is reported. The planar battery was fabricated by screen printing silver/silver-chloride and zinc electrodes (14 mm × 8 mm) onto a silk substrate. A biologically relevant fluid, phosphate buffered saline was used as a liquid electrolyte for characterization. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and current discharge properties at constant densities of 0.89 μA/cm2, 8.93 μA/cm2, and 89.29 μA/cm2 were used to quantify battery performance. Nine cells were placed in series to generate a greater open circuit voltage (>6 V) relevant to previously reported biomedical applications. The nine-cell battery was evaluated for operation under mechanical strain due to likely placement on curved surfaces of the body in wearable applications. The nine-cell battery was discharged over 4 h at 8.93 μA/cm2 in an unstrained condition. The mechanically strained battery when mounted to a mannequin to mimic anatomical curvature discharged up to 30 min faster. Additionally, the nine-cell battery was used in an in vitro wound model to power an electroceutical, showing promise towards practical use in active, corrosive, and potentially biohazardous environments.

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