Measurement of microelectric potentials in a bioelectrically-active wound care device in the presence of bacteria.

Objective: Wound healing is enhanced in the presence of an external electrical field. The purpose of this study was first to investigate whether microelectric potentials (EPs) can be generated when the innovative design of a silver (Ag)- and zinc (Zn)-printed wound care device was exposed to saline solution which is commonly used to clean wound sites; and second to measure the generated EPs while the device was exposed to bacterial culture suspensions to mimic infection.

Method: An Ag/Zn-printed test specimen as a wound care device was designed to accommodate Ag and Zn half-cell potentials by alternatively printing them on a woven polyester material in a well-characterised dot matrix pattern.