**Joint Research with Chemistry Institute and Changwon University…Published as Cover Article in an International Journal**
(Changwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sun-kyung = The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) announced on the 13th that it has developed a wireless sensor platform technology based on nanomaterials that can help prevent pressure ulcers.
This research was jointly conducted by Dr. Choi Myung-woo’s team from the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Dr. Cho Dong-hwi’s team from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, and Professor Oh Yong-seok’s team from the National Changwon University.
Pressure ulcers are conditions where skin tissue gets damaged due to prolonged pressure. It is one of the most painful diseases for elderly patients or disabled individuals in nursing and rehabilitation hospitals. To prevent bedsores, the patient’s position must be continuously changed and hygiene must be strictly managed. However, in actual field settings, due to lack of management personnel, it is often difficult to monitor the patient’s condition in real-time, leading to frequent occurrences of pressure ulcers.
To address this, the joint research team developed a wireless sensor platform that detects various biogases from patients, such as pressure, temperature, and ammonia. The sensor developed by the team selectively detects ammonia released from patient excrement using a nanomaterial called copper sulfide (CuS), which has excellent antibacterial and sterilization effects. The surface of copper sulfide is made into a three-dimensional porous structure that can quickly detect even low concentrations of ammonia emitted from excrement that is difficult for the human eye to detect.
The sensor helps prevent pressure ulcers by detecting pressure and temperature in addition to ammonia. The research team also implemented a wireless power transfer method, whereby the sensor operates by receiving power from nearby smartphones or readers. This allows automatic monitoring of the patient’s condition simply by attaching the sensor to the skin, even without a battery with limited capacity or long wires.
The research team explained that they also verified the clinical efficacy on patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers with the cooperation of the Gimhae Hansol Rehabilitation Nursing Hospital. Nurses or caregivers can check the patient’s skin condition in real-time using smartphones, laptops, or tablets, which helps prevent pressure ulcers and increases patient management efficiency.
The results of the team’s development of the wireless sensor platform were recently published as a cover article (Back Cover) in ‘Advanced Functional Materials,’ an international journal in the field of materials science.
Dr. Choi Myung-woo from KERI stated, “We plan to continue our research and development so that wireless sensor platform technology can be widely used in early detection of infections by expanding the diagnostic areas beyond pressure ulcers. We aim to develop it into a smart healthcare platform in collaboration with the industry and medical fields, linking it with home care systems.”