Memory Bandage for Functional Compression Management for Venous Ulcers

Bipin Kumar,Jinlian Hu,Ning Pan

doi:10.3390/fib4010010

Abstract

In current compression practice for the treatment of chronic venous disorders, there has always been a challenge of controlled compression by a bandage to achieve a particular pressure range in the affected region of the limb. The challenges in compression in the products could be solved if there were the possibility of stress control in fabric. Herein, we are exploiting the newly discovered phenomena, i.e., stress memory, in a memory polymer (MP) for the design and investigation of a smart bandage for functional compression benefits. A memory bandage is developed using a blend yarn consisting of MP filaments (segmented polyurethane) and nylon filaments. Results showed the possibility to control or manage the internal stress developed in the bandage in wrapped position by simple heating, and thus allowing pressure readjustment externally. Extra pressure generated by the bandage increases with increasing the level of temperature and strain (p < 0.05). The pressure variations also depend on the number of layers and limb circumference (p < 0.05). The memory bandage could have a great potential over existing conventional compression products, as they could give more freedom to govern pressure level whenever needed during the course of compression therapy as a novel wound care management system.

Highlights

Compression therapy provides a means to treat venous leg ulceration, edema, venous hypertension, and other chronic venous disorders [1]
As the recovery in a memory polymer (MP) is largely governed by entropy elasticity, the change in material stress where the sample length l and volume V are kept constant
T = 50 C). (b) Results of stress increase ∆σ with increase in temperature ∆T (Equation (4)). If such MP bandage is applied over a limb surface, there

Summary

Introduction

Compression therapy provides a means to treat venous leg ulceration, edema, venous hypertension, and other chronic venous disorders [1]. In order to obtain viscous stress that causes stress relaxation This adds limitations to the use MP for some applicationsstress memory phenomenon, the recovery stress should be pure so that can be repeated, analyzed, where the stress level has to be maintained, or a stable cyclic stressit variation is required, such as and pressure bandage, massage devices, etc. If only the memory are required/involved, including in sensors, sportswear, compression garments, massage devices, stress is properly identified and exploited in a MP using suitable programming methods, this nerve conduits, bone tissue engineering, artificial muscles and dynamic mattress This novel could serve the special functions in stress control [17]. This novel stress memory phenomenon has been used for smart and

Preparation of SMP filaments

Development of Memory Bandage

Results and Discussion

Results of stress increase

Cyclic

Conclusions