South Korean scientists have developed a "smart" patch capable of nearly doubling the rate of wound healing. The new technology combines light therapy with drug delivery, helping the skin regenerate faster and more effectively,El.kz reports .

Currently, wounds are typically treated with either ointments or light therapy. However, both methods have their limitations: ointments require regular application and can cause side effects if overdosed, while the effectiveness of light therapy decreases due to substances that accumulate in the skin during the procedure.

Researchers decided to combine the advantages of both approaches into a single device. The patch consists of a flexible OLED screen and a layer of nanoparticles containing an antioxidant drug. The screen emits red light, which stimulates skin cell repair and triggers the release of antioxidants. These antioxidants help neutralize the byproducts that occur during light therapy.

During experiments on mice, the technology showed remarkable results. After 14 days, the wound area in animals using the patch was reduced by 67%, compared to about 35% in the control group. Furthermore, the skin recovered with higher quality: scientists recorded a normalization of tissue thickness and protective protein levels.

So far, the device has only been tested on fresh wounds in healthy mice. In the future, researchers plan to test the technology's effectiveness on chronic and diabetic skin lesions, which are considered significantly more difficult to treat.