Engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz have developed a new smart bandage called “a-Heal” that may change how we treat wounds.
This wireless device uses a tiny camera, artificial intelligence (AI), and bioelectronics to track the healing process and apply the right treatment automatically.
It can deliver medicine or electric pulses to help wounds close faster and more effectively, depending on each patient’s needs.
When a wound heals, it goes through several stages: blood clotting, immune response, scabbing, and eventually scarring. The a-Heal device monitors the wound through each of these stages. Using a camera, it takes a picture of the wound every two hours.
These images are sent to an AI model — called the “AI physician” — running on a nearby computer. This model analyzes the photos, determines the current stage of healing, and decides if a treatment is needed.
If the wound is not healing as it should, the system can either apply a small dose of medicine or send a gentle electric signal. The medicine used is fluoxetine, known for reducing inflammation and speeding up tissue repair.
The electric signal helps cells move more quickly to the wound site, encouraging faster healing. The AI decides the correct amount of medicine or electricity to use, based on past healing progress. Once treatment is applied, the camera takes another image to reassess and adjust the plan if necessary.
This “closed-loop system” responds in real time to how a wound is healing. It was designed by a team led by Professor Marco Rolandi and supported by other experts from UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. The project is funded by the DARPA-BETR program, which supports futuristic medical technologies.
The system also uploads data like healing speed and treatment history to a secure website. This allows doctors to review the healing process and step in if needed. The device attaches easily to a regular bandage, making it simple and practical to use.
In early tests using preclinical models, wounds treated with a-Heal healed 25% faster than wounds treated with normal methods. This is important not just for minor cuts, but also for people with chronic wounds that are slow to heal — a common issue for people with diabetes or certain infections.
The AI system was trained using a method called reinforcement learning. This means the AI learns over time by trying different actions and seeing what works best to speed up healing.
It uses a program called Deep Mapper to understand how healing is progressing and to predict what will happen next. The AI adjusts treatment in real-time, personalizing care based on how the wound responds.
The research team hopes to explore the use of a-Heal in more complex wounds, including those that are infected or healing poorly.
Their findings, published in the journal npj Biomedical Innovations, show that AI and smart devices could offer powerful new ways to help people heal faster, especially those who live in remote areas or have limited access to health care.
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