I-Corps: Self-adhesive, nanofibrous, silicone elastomer to replace current adhesive bandages

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种无粘合剂绷带，用于皮肤伤口愈合和其他应用。目前的绷带技术依赖于坚硬的粘合材料，不能为使用者提供舒适、长期的粘合。所提出的技术是一种弹性网格，它是一种高度可变形的弹性膜，具有与皮肤相似的力学，为皮肤的微凹槽提供一个适应的表面，用于长期伤口或疤痕覆盖。该技术可应用于伤口护理、疤痕管理和皮肤贴片治疗（如尼古丁、皱纹、痤疮等）。该技术的目标是提供一种自粘绷带，可以在皮肤上层压很长一段时间，避免频繁的移除或更换，并降低潜在感染的风险。这种无黏合剂的绷带可能适用于皮肤敏感和/或过敏的患者，如早产儿和老年患者。此外，这项技术可以用于皮肤上的、自粘的、可穿戴的电子产品，并转化为尚未完全建立的市场，如可拉伸电子产品的发展。这个I-Corps项目是基于一种微结构的发展，通过提供一种无粘合剂、舒适的基底，用于伤口护理的长期层压，模仿皮肤的天然细胞外基质。目前，使用的绷带需要“粘性”的粘合剂，这可能会加剧过敏和炎症。所提出的技术是一种自粘、纳米纤维、有机硅弹性体，可以取代胶粘绷带。初步测试表明，与硅胶片（最广泛使用的绷带材料之一）相比，它具有生物相容性、细胞增殖能力和生存能力。此外，它可能会增加体内细胞增殖和细胞更新的速度，以缩短伤口愈合时间，改善疤痕的外观。此外，已经证明，在运动条件下，这种技术会附着在皮肤上，导致剧烈出汗，就像一种完全渗透的自粘胶一样。这种绷带提供了一个独特的机会来评估伤口护理行业对柔软、超薄、可拉伸和可渗透绷带的未满足需求，从而产生高度适形、无粘合剂和汗扩散保护膜。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an adhesive-free bandage to wear on the skin for wound healing and other applications. Current bandage technology relies on rigid, adhesive materials that do not provide comfortable, long-term adhesion for the user. The proposed technology is an elastomeric mesh that is a highly deformable and an elastic membrane with similar mechanics to skin that provides a conformable surface to the microgrooves of the skin for long-term wound or scar coverage. The technology has application in wound care, scar management, and skin-patch type treatments (e.g., nicotine, wrinkle, acne, etc.). The goal of the proposed technology is to provide a self-adhesive bandage that may be laminated on the skin for a long period of time, circumventing the need for frequent removal or replacement, and reducing the risk of potential infection. This adhesive-free bandage may be suitable for patients with sensitive skin and/or allergies, such as premature babies and elderly patients. Additionally, this technology may be developed for on-skin, self-adhesive, wearable electronics and translated into markets that have yet to be fully established such as the development of stretchable electronics. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a microstructure that mimics the skin natural’s extracellular matrix by providing an adhesive-free, comfortable substrate for long-term lamination in wound care. Currently, used bandages require "tacky" adhesives that can aggravate allergies and exacerbate inflammation. The proposed technology is a self-adhesive, nanofibrous, silicone elastomer that may replace adhesive bandages. Preliminary testing demonstrates its biocompatibility, increased cellular proliferation, and viability compared to silicone sheets, which are among the most widely used bandage materials. Further, it may increase the rate of cell proliferation and cell turnover in vivo to diminish wound healing time and improve the appearance of scars. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the proposed technology adheres to the skin during exercise conditions that result in vigorous sweating, acting as a fully permeable self-adhesive. The bandages provide a unique opportunity to evaluate an unmet need in the wound care industry for soft, ultra-thin, stretchable, and permeable bandages, yielding a highly conformal, adhesive-free, and sweat diffusive protective membrane.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.