The DERMA project has developed novel dressing materials intended for the improved management of chronic dermal ulcers. In such wounds, infection and inflammation can cause skin tissue to breakdown, often producing offensive odours. These wounds can be painful, and the malodour embarrassing for the patient, potentially leading to social isolation and depression. Chronic wounds may also be subjected to a series of underlying infections that the body does not easily eradicate and that require clinical intervention.

To meet these twin challenges of malodour production and infection, the project has developed two types of materials; the first to manage unpleasant odours from a wound, and the second to visually indicate the emergence of a developing infection.

The materials to combat wound malodour have used activated carbon (AC) granules as the active ingredient. One form is a thin film made by combining AC with agarose from seaweed that has been treated to be flexible and elastic and able to fit the contours of the skin. In tests, volunteers found that the DERMA material was significantly better at masking a bacteria-like odour than control materials. The material has been augmented to have a fluid handling capability to make it potentially suitable for use on sloughy wounds which can otherwise cause damaging tissue maceration.

AC for odour control has also been incorporated into very fine, electrospun fibres with a large surface area for odour removal. These proprietary fibres are highly water absorbent, of benefit for wound moisture control. The fibres also have a remarkable ability to release antimicrobial agents over extended periods, meaning that, in the form of a wound dressing, they could potentially be more efficient than current materials.
To indicate the presence of an infection, a bacterial growth indicator dye, resazurin, has been incorporated into a biodegradable, transparent film. The dye changes colour from blue to bright pink when exposed to growing bacteria and is intended to provide an early warning that an infection is developing, and that intervention is required. The release of the dye from the film has been controlled such that the dye should remain visible in the dressing when applied to a patient.

Resazurin was also successfully entrapped within a molecule called cyclodextrin, adding further control to its release and allowing it to be electrospun to produce a fibrous, swellable material intended for the detection of infections.