Smart battery-free and wireless bioelectronic platform based on a nature-skin-derived organohydrogel for chronic wound diagnosis, assessment, and accelerated healing

Abstract

Using smart electroactive hydrogels with emerging bioelectronics to monitor wound status wirelessly in real-time is a promising approach as an unremitting therapy for refractory chronic wounds. Based on a natural skin-derived organohydrogel (SGC@MA-Gel) triboelectric nanogenerator, a bioresorbable, battery-free, and wireless smart wound treatment bioelectronic system for pharmacological treatment, nanogenerator-driven electrostimulation, and visual wound condition assessment was engineered in this study. The inherent hierarchical architecture and origins of natural skin, in tandem with the substantial loading capabilities of collagen-based biomaterials, endowed SGC@MA-Gel with favorable characteristics. These included mechanical and adhesive robustness, electrical conductivity, antibacterial properties, controlled on-demand drug release capabilities, and human physiological signal monitoring performance. The customizable bioelectronic system, developed in-house, employs a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator, which facilitates skin wound healing via electrostimulation. Consequently, the system's biosensors can simultaneously measure glucose, uric acid, and pH at wound sites, thereby enabling accurate wound diagnosis and real-time assessment. This system accelerates cell proliferation and wound healing in vitro and in vivo, which validates its effectiveness in chronic wound treatment. The results demonstrated that the smart wound treatment bioelectronic system could provide a facile therapeutic strategy to assist with integrated wound monitoring, diagnosis, and therapy for hospitalized patients and those recovering at home.