New Nanosheet Can Coat Tricky Burn Wounds and Block Out Infection

Wrapping wound dressings around fingers and toes can be tricky, but for burn victims, guarding them against infection is critical.
With this in mind, scientists at Tokai University in Japan have developed a ultrathin coatings called nanosheets that can cling to the body's most difficult-to-protect contours and keep bacteria at bay.

Dr. Yosuke Okamura said that the nanosheets could adhere not only to flat surfaces, but also to uneven and irregular surfaces without adding any adhesives.

The material is made out of nanosheets of a biodegradable polyester called poly (L-lactic acid), or PLLA. These are basically spun in a blender with water to break them up into tiny pieces, resulting in a nanosheet shake.

This liquid is then poured onto a flat surface and allowed to dry. The final ultra flexible product is a nanosheet itself, but composed of patches of nanosheet fragments. At the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the team reported on testing the material on the toes of mice.

They showed that the substance coats even the tiniest flaps and bumps on the skin, and once dryed, it clung to the skin securely in place. Moreover, testing on real wounds, they demonstrated that the new material kept out the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria that often cause infections.

Scientists notes that the material, if eventually approved for human patients, could cut down the number of times dressings have to be changed

Source: Medindia