Piezoelectric materials generate electric charge when put under stress so scientists have found an application for wounds that solves two problems in one.
The electrical stimulation prompted by the heat of the patient’s body and cell growth speeds up the healing process and protects the wound from infection. The electroactive bandage is made from Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a thermoplastic fluoropolymer, which is highly piezoelectric.
The material, developed at the NASA Langley laboratories was developed to treat wounded military personnel, hospital patients following surgery and astronauts.
