Novel Composite Dressing for Oxygen Transport in Exudating Wounds

SUMMARY Chronic wounds are a significant health problemcases of which are increasing due to rising numbers of diabetic patientsan upsurge in obesityan increase in cardiovascular diseaseand an aging of the population in the USAEuropeJapanand ChinaClinical characteristics of chronic wounds are that they are hypoxichave low oxygen levelswhich hinders the healing processand are moderately to highly exudatingWhile many types of dressings for chronic wounds are indeed availablethe transformative dressing of this proposal addresses a poorly understood key propertydriving oxygen into a water filledexudatingwound bedsuch as that found with most chronic woundsWater covering the wound bed has low absorption of dissolved oxygen andhencepoor oxygen transport capabilityWater is the rate limiting step for surface oxygen to penetrate hypoxic tissueThe research of this proposal is being designed to overcome this limitationThe overall goal of this proposal is to commercialize a product that can profoundly improve the wound healing process by transporting oxygen to hypoxic wound tissue while simultaneously removing wound exudatewhich typically is rich in degradative proteases and microbial burdenthat also hinder wound healingThe specific aims of this proposal include synthesizing oxygen transporting polymersmechanically incorporating water absorbing polymersand testing the resulting materialsRochalandapos s marketing and sales subsidiaryAtteris Healthcarewill launch the productif successfulresulting from this researchThe Atteris and Rochal teams have determined a wound care market need for a product such as of this proposaland are approaching the science in a unique and soundalthough riskymannerto provide ultimately a more conducive environment for wound healing for hypoxic wounds that are nonhealing or difficult to heal NARRATIVE A unique material is proposed that could have great utility in healing of hypoxic chronic woundssuch as those found on the elderly or those suffering from diabetesatherosclerosisor obesityThis proposed technology could be a forerunner of a new class of materials for delivery of oxygen through wet environmentssuch as found on many of themillion patients with chronic wounds in the United States