Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) said on the 13th that it has developed a nanomaterial-based "wireless sensor platform" technology that can diagnose bedsores early, which frequently occur among older adults and people with disabilities.
The research was jointly conducted by the teams led by KERI researcher Choi Myeong-u, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) researcher Cho Dong-hwi, and Changwon National University professor Oh Yeong-seok. The results were recently published as a cover paper in Advanced Functional Materials, an international journal in the field of materials engineering.
A bedsore is a condition in which skin tissue is damaged by sustained pressure, and it is among the most painful diseases for older patients or people with disabilities in long-term care or rehabilitation hospitals. To prevent it, a patient's posture must be changed continuously and hygiene must be managed thoroughly. In reality, however, there is a shortage of care staff, making it difficult to monitor patients' conditions in real time.
There is a method of attaching sensors to a patient's skin, but most use single sensors that measure only pressure, which limits measurement accuracy. Power supply methods that require installing a small-capacity battery or connecting wires are also a headache.
In response, the joint team developed a wireless sensor that detects biogases such as ammonia along with pressure and temperature. Using a nanomaterial called copper sulfide (CuS), which has antibacterial and sterilizing effects, the sensor selectively detects ammonia emitted from a patient's excreta. By forming the surface of copper sulfide into a three-dimensional porous structure, it quickly detects ammonia released even from low-concentration, minute amounts of excreta that are difficult to confirm with the naked eye.
The team also applied a wireless power transfer method to this sensor. It receives power from a nearby smartphone or reader.
The price is more than 17 times cheaper than existing sensors. The team succeeded in producing copper sulfide inexpensively in large quantities simply by dipping commercial "Cu foam" in a sulfur (S) solution.
The team said, "With cooperation from Gimhae Hansol Rehabilitation Long-term Care Hospital, we also verified clinical efficacy in patients at risk of bedsores," adding, "Nurses or caregivers were able to check patients' skin conditions in real time via smartphones, laptops, and tablets to prevent bedsores early."
The team plans to continue research and development so that this technology can be used in a wider range of fields going forward.