Flexible Organic Photovoltaic‐Powered Hydrogel Bioelectronic Dressing With Biomimetic Electrical Stimulation for Healing Infected Diabetic Wounds

Abstract

Electrical stimulation (ES) is proposed as a therapeutic solution for managing chronic wounds. However, its widespread clinical adoption is limited by the requirement of additional extracorporeal devices to power ES‐based wound dressings. In this study, a novel sandwich‐structured photovoltaic microcurrent hydrogel dressing (PMH dressing) is designed for treating diabetic wounds. This innovative dressing comprises flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, a flexible micro–electro–mechanical systems (MEMS) electrode, and a multifunctional hydrogel serving as an electrode–tissue interface. The PMH dressing is engineered to administer ES, mimicking the physiological injury current occurring naturally in wounds when exposed to light; thus, facilitating wound healing. In vitro experiments are performed to validate the PMH dressing's exceptional biocompatibility and robust antibacterial properties. In vivo experiments and proteomic analysis reveal that the proposed PMH dressing significantly accelerates the healing of infected diabetic wounds by enhancing extracellular matrix regeneration, eliminating bacteria, regulating inflammatory responses, and modulating vascular functions. Therefore, the PMH dressing is a potent, versatile, and effective solution for diabetic wound care, paving the way for advancements in wireless ES wound dressings.

Accelerated Wound Healing by Electrospun Multifunctional Fibers with Self-Powered Performance

“…Single PVDF layer fibers exhibited good piezoelectric properties, with an open circuit voltage of 22 V (Figure b). In contrast, the open circuit voltage of triple was significantly reduced, measuring around 1 V (Figure c–e), which is suitable to induce a cellular response that promotes wound healing. ,− P/C and P/G-Ag layers of triple were equivalent to a resistance in the circuit with PVDF as the power supply, which led to the open circuit voltage being lower compared with the single PVDF. The increased Ag content caused the resistance to decrease, with the open circuit voltage increasing from 0.5 of triple 1 to 1.2 V of triple 3 .…”