Posted 11.05.2010 at 5:13 pm
8 Comments
Purple Pain
A new bandage developed by German scientists changes color to indicate infection.
Fraunhofer Labs via Gizmag
Researchers in Germany have created bandages that turn purple at the first sign of infection.
A new wound dressing, developed at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich, includes a special dye that reacts to different pH values.
Related Articles
 | Targeted Wound Dressings Lure Infectious Microbes in, Then Attack |
 | Inkjet Cell Fabricator Prints Healing Flesh Directly Onto Wounds |
 | Photographed: Ratchet-Like Cell Mechanism that Pulls Wounds Shut |
Tags
Technology, Rebecca Boyle, bandage, change colors, Fraunhofer, health, infections, injuries, pH, woundsIf the pH value is between 6.5 and 8.5, the new bandage will turn purple, according to Dr. Sabine Trupp, a scientist at the EMFT. The indicator strip can allow patients and doctors to monitor for infection without having to change dressings. This is an advantage because removing a bandage can let in germs. The next step is to test the strips at a German hospital’s dermatology clinic.
Eventually, the researchers want to integrate an optical sensor, which could measure pH values and indicate the results on a screen, providing precise data about whether a wound is getting better.
[Gizmag]
8 Comments
To comment, please Login.
Popular Tags
Technology
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2013: American Energy Independence
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Technology
- Defense Distributed's Cody Wilson On Being Told To Remove 3-D Printed Gun Plans: "We Win"
- Thieves Stole $45 Million From ATMs Because The U.S. Uses Absurd 40-Year-Old Technology
- A California State Senator Is Trying To Outlaw 3-D Printed Guns
- 2013 Invention Awards: Family Flier
- Autonomous X-47B Jet Fighter Makes Historic First Launch From An Aircraft Carrier
- U.S. Navy Spends $37 Billion On A Ship That Barely Works
- Time-Lapse GIFs Show Earth Transforming Over 25 Years
- How To Turn An AK-47 Into A Soup Ladle
- How The World's First 3-D Printed Gun Works
- Iran Unveils Absurd New Stealth Drone
Most Emailed
Technology
- Russia's 'Space Ark' Returns All Of Its Lizards And Half Its Mice Safely To Earth
- Google Maps Helps People Find Families They Lost Decades Ago
- Norwegian Geologists Begin Drone-Guided Quest For Oil
- Another Big Milestone For The X-47B: Its First Touch And Go Landing
- South Pole Lab Detects Elusive Deep-Space Neutrinos For The First Time
- Yahoo! Officially Acquires Tumblr For $1.1 Billion
- Mars Rover Opportunity Travels Farther Than A NASA Vehicle Has Ever Traveled On Another Planet
- 7 Reasons Why 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Is A Beginner's Guide To Star Trek [Spoiler Alert]
- America's Road To Energy Independence, Part 1
- Video: MIT's Cheetah Robot Trots, Then Gallops
Most Viewed
Technology
- Russia's 'Space Ark' Returns All Of Its Lizards And Half Its Mice Safely To Earth
- Google Maps Helps People Find Families They Lost Decades Ago
- Norwegian Geologists Begin Drone-Guided Quest For Oil
- Another Big Milestone For The X-47B: Its First Touch And Go Landing
- South Pole Lab Detects Elusive Deep-Space Neutrinos For The First Time
- Yahoo! Officially Acquires Tumblr For $1.1 Billion
- Mars Rover Opportunity Travels Farther Than A NASA Vehicle Has Ever Traveled On Another Planet
- 7 Reasons Why 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Is A Beginner's Guide To Star Trek [Spoiler Alert]
- America's Road To Energy Independence, Part 1
- Video: MIT's Cheetah Robot Trots, Then Gallops
Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Rebecca Boyle | Email
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2012 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
So ... Whoopie Goldberg is infected ?
www.imdb.com/title/tt0088939/
Cool! Now a good way to tell if you have a happy sore!
Are these available in the US?
Look at all the ads in the comments. This is ridiculous.
yeah i know alias007, ive noticed it too.. you can report it to an admin via the "Report this comment" link below the offending comment, but the site seems to need a few good mods in my opinion ;)
Omg, we sriously need a "Flag" button like on Youtube. Where if more then 3 people "Flag" a comment, it is removed.
@HAZE - I'm going to report your comment as a good idea. Maybe Popsci will get the picture then.
BLARG, STUPID SPAMMERS!!! On a side note, what if I bleed purple?
Yeah, seriously! Have some respect for those with different colored blood. I know that I hate it when I get cut and people make fun of my blood color. So immature. Not everyone bleeds red!