Project R-14937

Sensor Fusion for smart wound monitoring (SURMOUNT). (Research)

A wound is defined as a damage to the body resulting from various causes. Typically, wounds involve a breach in the protective membrane of the skin and often extend to harm the underlying tissues. These wounds can be categorised as acute or chronic. These complex wounds provide significant challenges for patients, and have a profound financial impact on the healthcare system. For example, approximately 4% of the European healthcare budget is spent on complex wound management. At the same time, costs are expected to increase as a result of an ageing population and the prevalence of lifestyle disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, complex wounds are associated with increased hospitalisation rates and impaired quality of life. The process of wound healing, particularly when it's compromised, is a multifaceted phenomenon influenced by a myriad of factors. These factors encompass skin temperature, pH levels, moisture content, vascularization, the composition of biofluids (such as uric acid), and the partial pressure of oxygen. To date, conventional wound dressings cannot monitor the wound bed and environment beneath the dressing, nor can they react directly to changing wound parameters such as pH, temperature, etc. As a consequence, unnecessary dressing changes occur, which can interrupt the wound healing process. In addition, unnecessary dressing changes involve additional costs. The next generation of wound dressings, as main objective of this project, aim to monitor essential chemical and physical parameters involved in wound healing. However, to date, little is known about parameter evolution of a wound. Temperature, pH, moisture content and blood flow will alter during the healing process but their interrelation is not well understood. Monitoring these parameters over time will give insights in how these values alter during the healing process. Further, sensors measuring these parameters, need to be designed with appropriate materials that are biocompatible and do not cause adverse reactions when in contact with the wound. Therefore, this proposal addresses several of the current limitations in wound care by investigating the development of smart wound dressings through innovative sensor fusion technology, including an artificial intelligence platform for data analysis. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing on expertise in materials science, biomedical engineering, sensor technology, data analysis, toxicology and clinical wound care. This research not only aims to bridge these knowledge gaps but also stands to revolutionize wound care by offering more personalized, efficient, and effective treatment strategies.

01 October 2024 - 30 September 2028