A Skin-Inspired Self-Adaptive System for Temperature Control During Dynamic Wound Healing

Yaqi Geng; Guoyin Chen; Ran Cao; Hongmei Dai; Zexu Hu; Senlong Yu; Le Wang; Liping Zhu; Hengxue Xiang; Meifang Zhu

doi:10.1007/s40820-024-01345-0

A Skin-Inspired Self-Adaptive System for Temperature Control During Dynamic Wound Healing

Nanomicro Lett. 2024 Mar 11;16(1):152. doi: 10.1007/s40820-024-01345-0.

Authors

Yaqi Geng^#¹, Guoyin Chen^#¹, Ran Cao², Hongmei Dai¹, Zexu Hu¹, Senlong Yu¹, Le Wang¹, Liping Zhu¹, Hengxue Xiang³, Meifang Zhu⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
² State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China. rancao@dhu.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China. hengxuexiang@dhu.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China. zhumf@dhu.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

The thermoregulating function of skin that is capable of maintaining body temperature within a thermostatic state is critical. However, patients suffering from skin damage are struggling with the surrounding scene and situational awareness. Here, we report an interactive self-regulation electronic system by mimicking the human thermos-reception system. The skin-inspired self-adaptive system is composed of two highly sensitive thermistors (thermal-response composite materials), and a low-power temperature control unit (Laser-induced graphene array). The biomimetic skin can realize self-adjusting in the range of 35-42 °C, which is around physiological temperature. This thermoregulation system also contributed to skin barrier formation and wound healing. Across wound models, the treatment group healed ~ 10% more rapidly compared with the control group, and showed reduced inflammation, thus enhancing skin tissue regeneration. The skin-inspired self-adaptive system holds substantial promise for next-generation robotic and medical devices.

Keywords: Flexible electronic system; Self-regulation; Thermo-reception; Wound healing.