Electrospinning Machine | A Multilayered Responsive Dressing for Programmable Exudate Control and Regenerative Therapy of Infected Wounds

Challenge: Exudate plays a dual role in wound healing. When present in excess, it can cause tissue hyperhydration, thereby exacerbating infection and damage. Conversely, insufficient secretion may lead to scarring and hinder the healing process. Traditional wound dressings lack the ability to adapt to changes in the wound's moisture needs. 

Method: Professors Kang Yantang, Xu Liqun, and Lu Zhisong from Southwest University collaborated to develop a dynamic phase-switching smart dressing that can dynamically switch between drainage and moisturizing modes to help maintain an optimal healing environment. 

Innovation 1: The dressing consists of three functional layers: a bottom layer is a polypyrrole (PPy) film loaded with a hydrophobic drug (ATRA) on a fabric substrate, a middle layer is porous electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, and a top layer is coated with active Mg particles. 

Innovation 2: Due to asymmetric wettability and pore size gradients, these layers form a unidirectional fluid channel. Upon contact with exudate, the Mg particles react to form Mg(OH)2, increasing local pH and temperature, promoting evaporation, and triggering changes in the PAN and PPy layers, switching the dressing from drainage mode to retention mode. 

Innovation 3: This exudate-responsive system effectively manages wound fluid, reduces infection and inflammation, and accelerates the healing of infected wounds in rats. The multi-layer reactive dressing has potential clinical application value in complex wound exudate management.

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202514784