Antibiotic-resistant infections are rapidly increasing nowadays. Small wound infections are not easily getting cured with available antibiotics and need longer hospital stays. Thus, antibiotic-resistant infections are imposing an economic burden on the healthcare system worldwide. A team of innovators led by Dr. Rahim Rahimi (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States) has found an appropriate solution for the aforementioned challenge. The team has developed portable and effective treatment technology based on the ozone generating system. Recently, ozone therapy has been found to be effective against antibiotic-resistant infections.

However, the implementation of the therapy is quite promising. It needs a trained technician equipped medical facility. Moreover, the patient has to travel to the hospital. However, a breathable patch designed in the technology can be applied to the wound site. The patch is connected to an ozone generating device which transports ozone gas to the wound site. The antimicrobial activity of the system was checked against common antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis and it showed promising results even after exposure of only 6 hours. The treatment was also found to be biocompatible with the human fibroblast cells. Thus, the ozone releasing wound dressing is simple, biocompatible, effective against drug-resistant infection, and can be used at home.

A video explaining the technology is available at Purdue Engineering on youtube
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