Bandages aren’t new or particularly interesting, right? They keep wounds clean and protected from the outside environment. Some bandages are even impregnated with antibacterial agents to kill off rogue pathogens. What if bandages could be used to monitor wounds and detect problems, though? That is the goal of Thaddaeus Webster and Edgar Goluch. In a recently published research paper, they explain how they use minuscule electrodes made of palladium to detect potentially deadly bacteria. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we deal with flesh wounds and surface infections.

Webster and Goluch explain that they have developed a way to make an extremely small electrochemical sensor that can be used to detect pyocyanin — a chemical compound associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It’s a common bacteria that isn’t usually harmful, but it can be life-threatening for people with compromised immune systems. “We want to be able to detect the bacteria before a biofilm forms,” says Goluch. “Early detection of infection and con­t­a­m­i­na­tion greatly improves a patient’s chances of survival.” That is the key to what makes this such a big deal. The early detection of bacteria can be the difference between life and death for critically ill patients.

Impressively, this tiny palladium electrode charged with hydrogen can detect the chemical compound it is designed to find in astoundingly low concentrations. We’re talking about chemical compounds on the 1:100 micrometer scale. While researchers have previously been held back simply by the outstandingly small scale needed for smart bandage electrodes, these researchers have figured out a process that exploits palladium’s properties. Their work has been published and shown to work, so now other researchers can start building on top of this breakthrough to specialize in the detection of other compounds.

In the near future, our injuries could be monitored round the clock for bacterial growth. Instead of just sterilizing and hoping that nothing got through, we can now build the technology to detect rogue bacteria before it becomes a major infection. Not only does this have the potential to save lives, but it could help reduce complications, speed up healing, and save time and money. This doesn’t single-handedly change medicine, but it does have the ability to make a real difference in the lives of the wounded. It just goes to show that the work of a small research team has the potential to impact an entire industry and perhaps even the entire world.

[Image credit: Ted Percival & Daniel R. Blume]