Graphene-based electronic patch to improve chronic wound monitoring

Graphene Flagship Associated Member Grapheal has developed a pioneering wearable patch for the remote monitoring of chronic wounds. The flexible and transparent graphene-based biosensor enables doctors and nurses to provide hyper-responsive treatment of chronic wounds. The device will be showcased at Deep Tech EU, at Mobile World Congress 2020, held in Barcelona, Spain on February 24 to 27, 2020. 

Evidence suggests effective wound care will become critical for healthcare in Europe as the population ages and the prevalence of chronic wounds increases. The growing frequency of diabetes in Europe is exacerbating the situation, with approximately 5.5 per cent of 60 million diabetics in Europe developing a foot wound. 

Chronic wounds can take months or even years to heal. In 20 per cent of the cases, the injury never heals and can lead to a limb amputation. This dramatic consequence is on the rise, with a 19.4 per cent increase in limb amputations during 2014-2017 compared to 2010-2013.

At Deep Tech EU, the largest showcase of technologies born out of European Flagships, Grapheal, a spin-off from CNRS-Grenoble (France) will demonstrate how its wound monitoring technology will change the way the healthcare industry deals with the chronic wound epidemic.

Connected to a smartphone, Grapheal's wearable patch enables continuous monitoring of wounds, to empower caregivers and wound sufferers with a smart and accurate assessment tool. The wound patch measures and stores the bio parameters of the wound and communicates this data to the cloud via a smartphone app. This real-time connectivity ensures nurses and doctors can be alerted to early stages of infection and other complications. 

"Our patented formula uses Graphene-on-polymer, in a non-invasive way, to actively react to any changes to the wound", explained Vincent Bouchiat, Grapheal CEO. "As an atomically thin material, graphene's electrode conductivity will change according to any physicochemical change, enabling faster detection of problems for patients."

"Our patch can adapt to any shape of wound, using Graphene's thin and flexible properties. In fact, the non-invasive nature of the patch actively stimulates wound healing — and we have led eight preclinical studies to prove its bio stimulation properties."