New Nanoparticle Rubber Stamp Technology May Mend Wounds | WPN World People News

Wounds on the skin may have met their match, as developers put their stamp on a new technology that could serve as an antidote by speeding up the healing process. The innovative idea takes an ultra-thin polymer antibacterial coating infused with micrometer-size silver nanoparticles and delivers the active ingredients directly to the wound via a rubber stamp application, according to a recent study published in the "Advanced Functional Materials" journal.

Though toxic when delivered in high doses, silver has long been touted for its health and bacteria-fighting benefits. Roman soldiers went so far as to utilize silver foil to thwart infection while in battle.
The challenge is getting the right dosage delivered to the right spot. Silver can destroy skin cells, "therefore we need to develop materials that deliver antibacterial but nontoxic levels of silver to wounds," said Ankit Agarwal, first author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Under the helm of Agarwal, the research team, which included chemical and biological engineering professor Nicholas Abbott and colleagues, deems they did just that. The group used a coating—just a few molecules thick—to carry a bevy of fine beads of silver nanoparticles, which were then "assembled" on a piece of rubber and stamped directly in the wounds of cadaver skin. Trial-stage tests of both dosage level and efficacy were performed by applying two types of bacteria to the skin samples, with results getting a stamp of approval. The bacteria was 99.999 percent undetectable within 12 hours, an outcome that remained consistent up to around 48 hours.

"We found, serendipitously, that if we introduce certain micrometer-sized beads in the films, it greatly enhances the transfer of films to soft materials," such as skin, a stretch from elements like metal and glass, which are commonly coated using contact printing with stamps, Agarwal said. The technology will also most likely spin off to inventions such as a "sustained-release version," which decreases repeat applications and wound-dressing changes.

The old adage "time heals all wounds" takes precedence here: Currently, testing has been carried out on diabetic mice and pigs only; human patients will have to wait a few more years before the treatment is readily available

Source:eWeek