Researchers in Australia have developed a "smart" wound dressing capable of both monitoring and treating injuries in real time, potentially transforming chronic wound care, El.kz cites Xinhua.

Researchers at Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) created a method of embedding tiny, multi-functional nanomaterials, known as carbon dots, into a hydrogel dressing that serves the dual functions of monitoring and treating the wound, a RMIT statement said Tuesday.

This new type of smart wound patch will change color when there is a pH change in the wound caused by infection, triggering the release of therapeutic nanozymes that help reduce inflammation and promote healing, researchers said, adding that clinicians or patients can also manually activate the treatment by applying gentle pressure to the dressing.

The dual nature of this smart wound patch would support more timely and effective intervention from clinicians, said Nan Nan, RMIT PhD candidate and the first author of the study published in Chemical Engineering Science.