Smart bandage

During surgery or traumatic injury, quickly stopping bleeding saves lives. Now, scientists have recruited an unlikely ally to that cause – snake venom, which forms the basis of a new “super glue” that halts bleeding in seconds after light activation.

While it's important to check wounds for infections, removing the dressing in order to do so can be disruptive to the healing process. A new smart bandage could help, by "glowing" in a certain way if an infection is beginning.

Chronic skin wounds such as pressure ulcers can become very serious if left untreated, potentially even leading to amputations. A new "smart" bandage could help, by changing color before such wounds occur in the first place.

Wired devices called oximeters are the gold standard when it comes to monitoring oxygenation in transplanted tissue, but scientists may have found a better way forward in the form of a paint-on bandage that glows instead.

Researchers in India have taken an impressive step forward with efforts to tackle cancer using magnetic nanoparticles, working the technology into a bandage that proved capable of killing skin cancer cells in experiments on mice.

Ripping Band-Aids off your skin is never fun – but imagine having one on your heart or lung. Researchers have now created surgical tape that can stick to wet surfaces like organs, and more importantly, be removed safely when it’s no longer needed.

If someone is suffering from a chronic wound, it's important for their doctor to continuously know the status of that injury. A new bandage is designed to keep physicians in the loop, via everyone's favorite wonder material – graphene.

The treatment of chronic wounds often involves the application of different medications, at different stages in the healing process. A new electronic bandage could allow this to happen, but without having to be removed for each application.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a smart bandage that changes color to signal either drug-resistant or drug-sensitive bacteria. It can then be triggered to release antibiotics or other chemicals to kill off the bugs.

When a bone-break occurs, the body floods the injury site with a healing biochemical known as adenosine. A new bandage is designed to absorb that substance, keeping it around so it can do more work.

The most common form of arthritis, arthrosis is caused by wear and tear on joint cartilage. And while some exercise helps, too much just makes things worse. That's where a new "smart" knee bandage will come in, by providing real-time strain readings.

A number of research groups around the world have already produced promising experimental versions of futuristic bandages that could take our healing game to the next level. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting examples.