Wearable device for iontophoretic treatment and monitoring of pressure ulcers: Proof-of-concept

This work demonstrates the feasibility of an all-in-one system for the detection, monitoring and treatment of pressure ulcers using two non-invasive methods, namely impedance spectroscopy and transdermal drug delivery by iontophoresis. The purpose of this device is to detect these chronic skin wounds at an early stage and treat them locally by delivering a vasodilator. The developed wearable flexible electrodes coupled to the compact electronic device used as a controlled current source show an increase in drug penetration by a factor of up to 8 for a current of 250 µA in comparison to passive diffusion.