European project makes bandage that bathes wound in blue light to speed recovery.
With the objective of using light to improve wound healing and within the framework of the European project MEDILIGHT, Swiss company CSEM and six partners have developed a new solution for treating chronic wounds. This portable device delivers blue light to improve and accelerate the healing process. The prototype was first presented this week at the project wrap-up event on July 2nd, at the URGO Laboratories in Dijon, France.
Chronic wounds are often difficult to treat, because they do not follow the typical injury healing process or time-frame. The resulting burden is significant, affecting over 40 million patients worldwide and costing healthcare systems an estimated €40 billion annually.
Blue light is known for its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects in the initial stages of the healing process; it does not damage tissue, unlike the hazardous UV light. However, clear evidence of the beneficial effects of blue-light irradiation in the later stages of wound healing was still missing, thus hindering the development of effective solutions for complete therapy … read more