University of California San Francisco

Sentinel Bandage

Monitoring Wounds with Non-Invasive Impedance Mapping

Principal Investigator: David M. Young, MD
Team Members: Claire Graves, Hobart Harris, Michel Maharbiz, Monica Lin, Amy Liao

Challenge 

sentinel bandage

Every year over 1.8 million new patients develop problematic wounds that require prolonged treatment at specialized wound care clinics in the United States. Monitoring the health of the wound remains the most common challenge for both the clinician and patient. A bandage to track whether a wound is improving or deteriorating allows clinicians to guide treatment accordingly and also offers a greater sense of safety to patients.

Solution

Using impedance spectroscopy, the Sentinel Bandage maps the various stages of wound healing and monitors the health of skin and superficial soft tissue, offering improved diagnostics for a large number of patients by facilitating the treatment of their wounds. The initial two clinical applications include measuring wounds as they heal and detecting pressure ulcers (bedsores). Once fully developed the platform technology has potential for use in multiple markets.

Funding

National Science Foundation

Honors & Awards

2nd place, Surgical Innovations Accelerator Shark Tank! September 2015

Development

The project is currently in the midst of an ongoing clinical trial. The team is also working to refine the prototype.

Publications

Featured Media

Innovative research by Dr. David M. Young Featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education - UCSF Surgical Innovations - January 16, 2016
'Smart bandage' detects bedsores before they are visible to doctors - Berkeley News - March 17, 2015