Chitosan composite textile and electrostimulation enhanced wound dressing design

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to develop a wound dressing system aimed at accelerating the healing process and reducing the development of decubitus ulcers. Theory and Methods: The research proposes developing a new system by combining two different treatment approaches. This system consists of a spacer fabric coated with a mixture of chitosan and glycerol and an electrostimulation device. Firstly, the chitosan and chitosan/glycerol mixture were applied to polyamide (PA) and polyester (PES) spacer fabrics by foulard, printing, and laboratory-based dip-coating processes. In addition, an electrostimulation system was developed using a Howland circuit. Results: The obtained spacer fabrics were evaluated for amount of release and application, elasticity, antimicrobial activity and performance of the electrostimulation system. The antibacterial activity of the spacer textiles containing chitosan was good. The application and release values of the glycerol-containing spacer fabrics were found to be superior to those of the other manufactured fabrics. A prototype was constructed, and a circuit simulation was performed. The proposed electrostimulation device has demonstrated the ability to speed up the healing process by applying current pulses at specific intervals to increase the activation energy of the wound healing mechanism. Conclusion: The study's findings showed that the proposed system enables a more thorough and efficient approach to the treatment and management of decubitus ulcers, improving patient outcomes and significantly advancing the healthcare industry.