Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.12
Large wound located on the upper leg of an obese woman. The wound
was treated with bioactive borate glass nanofibers and was resolved in about four
months. For a better understanding of the figure, please refer to the colour section
(Figure 8).
was large in both diameter (
7 cm) and depth (2.5 cm). After just two
treatments with borate glass fibers, the smell was significantly diminished
(the glass is antimicrobial) and the wound had decreased in volume by
∼
∼
50%. After four months the wound was fully resolved, with little
scarring noted.
Lack of scarring is important, for two reasons: people do not want
to look disfigured after their wound has healed; and scar tissue is only
about 40% as strong as unscarred tissue, so wounds that heal but scar
are likely to reopen with minimal abrasion.
Hemostasis (blood clotting) and antimicrobial properties go hand in
hand when it comes to the design of bandages for critical wounds.
Bioactive borate glasses in a nanofiber form can be applied to a bleeding
wound, and the microstructure of the fiber mat acts like a cellular sieve
to separate the solid content of the blood and the liquid fraction. This
separation is highly effective in forming blood clots and is currently
being researched for applications on the battlefield. The added benefit of
