Here’s a piece that will certainly leave you feeling old and under accomplished for the better part of the day. Today, we present the story of a young girl named Anushka Naiknaware, who created a healing bandage after research in nanoparticles. She has won the Lego Education Builder Award at Google Science Fair even before starting her high school!
In the US, accidents result in thousands of injuries every year – some of which are chronic wounds. These wounds are often fatal for the elderly and diabetic people. Viewing this crisis, Naiknaware created a bandage that helps a chronic wound heal much faster.
Naiknaware, 13, says in a video recorded during the Google Science Fair,
“I realized that this was a very big problem because more people die of injuries per year than they do of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined . After I discovered that, I wanted to find a solution for this.”
https://youtu.be/VrNIFelvBzE
The key behind Naiknaware’s invention is moisture. For chronic wounds, lesions need to have a certain amount of dampness to heal the wound. The consistency of the dressing is also important when it comes to healing wounds. If the dressing is changed too frequently, the healing process gets hampered. So, Naiknaware embedded a sensor in the bandage that would allow the doctors to check the healing status of the wound without ever removing the bandage. It also allows the doctors to monitor the moisture levels, leading to quicker healing.
To achieve this, she created her ink out of nanoparticles. The ink was used to print out a circuit using a Laser Jet printer that could conduct electricity. The current in the circuit helped to record the measurement of the moisture while ensuring that the bandage was providing an ideal environment for healing. She also quotes using the following materials to create the bandage on the project website,
- Prepared Sensors with copper pads and lead wires (Made of Nanoparticle Conductive Carbon, Activated Charcoal Nanoparticles, Water, and Cotton Paper)
- 250 mL of water
- .25 mL of 5% vinegar
- Testing Jig
- Data Logger and Laptop
This breakthrough technology can also be used for the military and help the injured soldiers heal effectively and quickly.
Naiknaware expressed her love for science and claimed Marie Curie as one of her heroes. She says,
“There’s a natural progression from one field to another,” Naiknaware added. “After you learn math and chemistry, you can do biology, physics, computer science, anything. It just keeps building and there’s no real end to it.”
What are your thoughts on the quick healing bandage? Comment below!