Ultra‐Conformable Ionic Skin with Multi‐Modal Sensing, Broad‐Spectrum Antimicrobial and Regenerative Capabilities for Smart and Expedited Wound Care

Abstract

Abstract While rapid wound healing is essential yet challenging, there is also an unmet need for functional restoration of sensation. Inspired by natural skin, an ultra‐conformable, adhesive multi‐functional ionic skin (MiS) with multi‐modal sensing capability is devised for smart and expedited wound care. The base of MiS is a unique skin‐like, conductive and self‐adaptive adhesive polyacrylamide/starch double‐network hydrogel (PSH) and self‐powered, flexible, triboelectric sensor(s) is integrated on top of PSH for multi‐tactile sensing. MiS could enhance wound contraction, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and epidermis formation in a full‐thickness skin defect wound model in vivo, while significantly inhibiting the biofilm formation of a wide range of microorganisms. MiS also exhibits multi‐modal sensing capability for smart and instant therapeutics and diagnostics, including skin displacement or joint motion, temperature, pressure and tissue exudate changes of wound bed, and locally releasing drugs in a pH‐responsive manner. More importantly, MiS could restore the skin‐mimicking tactile sensing function of both touch location and intensity, and thus could be used as a human‐machine interface for accurate external robotic control. MiS demonstrates a new comprehensive paradigm of combining wound diagnosis and healing, broad‐spectrum anti‐microbial capability and restoration of multi‐tactile sensing for the reparation of severe wound.

Keywords

• antimicrobial
• gel‐point adhesive hydrogel (GPAH)
• ionic skin
• smart wound care
• tactile sensing