Browsing by Author "Liu, Daichen"

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    In-Situ Hydrogel based Device Application for Donor Sites in Skin Grafting Surgery
    (2024-08-21) Liu, Daichen; Hu, Jinguang; Kim, Keekyoung; Kibria, Golam; Du, Ke
    Skin grafting is a recent technological advancement in surgical procedures, involving the replacement of skin from healthy areas and providing coverage for wound regions. Grafting is primarily employed for various wound indications, such as deep burns, skin cancer, trauma, or reconstructive surgeries. In these scenarios, doctors need to harvest healthy skin from the patient. The freshly harvested skin requires immediate medical attention, often leaving the donor site unattended for a period. Considering the above, we aim to design a hydrogel application device that directly substitutes the dermatome blade guard. This device is intended to apply wound-healing hydrogel evenly to the donor site wound while the surgery. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and 3D printing, we developed a functional prototype. Our research first focuses on a hydrogel composed of 0.5% TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBC) mixed with 2% sodium alginate. This hydrogel is designed to cover the wound, protect it, absorb exudates and blood, and maintain a moist environment, which is essential for healing. The hydrogel has a tensile strength of 228 kPa and a compressive strength of 449 kPa after cross-linking, providing substantial protection. It also exhibits a swelling capacity of approximately 1000%, ensuring a moist environment and efficient absorption of wound exudates. Recognizing the need for antimicrobial properties, we incorporated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into the hydrogel by attaching them to TOBC through ion exchange and thermal reduction reactions, creating TOBC-AgNp. Although this modification slightly reduced the hydrogel's tensile strength to 85 kPa and compressive strength to 240 kPa, it endowed the hydrogel with significant antimicrobial efficiency, providing 99.0% and 90.1% efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in 12hr, respectively, effectively reducing the risk of wound infection. The synergistic interaction between advanced hydrogel formulations and precision application devices represents a significant advancement in surgical wound management. This research focuses on improving operational efficiency, enhancing patient care, and reducing infection risks. The device's ability to provide immediate and uniform hydrogel application not only aids in faster and more effective healing of the donor site but also enhances patient comfort and reduces postoperative complications.