a-Heal: AI-Powered Smart Bandage Speeds Healing

A team of engineers led by researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz, recently unveiled an advanced wound treatment system that combines traditional medical practices, AI, and bioelectronics to enhance the healing process. The new system, dubbed a-Heal, has the potential to revolutionize wound treatment, streamlining the healing process while also bringing advanced medical solutions to remote regions worldwide. Here’s what you need to know.

How Wounds Heal: Natural Processes Explained

Every day, thousands of people worldwide experience some form of wound. From scraping your knee to serious injuries or even internal ones like chronic ulcers, wounds are a part of life. For most scenarios, your body will be able to heal from non-serious wounds using its natural processes.

The Healing Process

The true complexity of what occurs during the healing process is unknown to the majority of people. Your body will automatically initiate several phases during healing, including hemostasis to stop the bleeding, inflammation as an immune response, proliferation to rebuild the damaged tissue, and maturation, where your body creates purpose-built cells to recognize and respond to similar issues in the future.

Of course, some wounds require medical intervention to heal properly, and in many instances, delays can result in improper healing, infections, permanent tissue damage, sepsis, and in worst-case scenarios, death.

Current Challenges in Wound Healing Treatments

The traditional methods of treating wounds have improved significantly over the last few decades. However, they still utilize industry-wide standards rather than personalized care solutions. This scenario can lead to prolonged recovery and additional risks. Recognizing these drawbacks, engineers created smart bandages.

Smart Bandages

The concept of smart bandages entered the field in 2010 after researchers realized that electronics had reached the point where they could be successfully installed into bandages using flexible components. A decade later, the VeCare smart bandage entered the market.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) worked with Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to create this advanced medical device. It utilizes wearable sensors connected to the patient via a microneedle to detect biomarkers like bacterial type, temperature, and more. The data was then sent to a mobile app, providing real-time insight and enabling healthcare professionals to remotely monitor their patients’ recovery.

AI-Assisted Wound Healing via the a-Heal Study

A paper¹ published in the journal npj Biomedical Innovations takes the concept a step further. The “Towards adaptive bioelectronic wound therapy with integrated real-time diagnostics and machine learning–driven closed-loop control” study introduces an AI-powered adaptive bioelectronic wound therapy system that takes the concept of smart bandages to the next level, allowing you to track and share your progress.

a-Heal

The a-Heal operates like an AI-powered personal physician. The wearable device provides physicians with a microscopic view of your wound. It features real-time data transmission and can even distribute therapies in the form of stimulating healing electrical fields or medications.

The engineers began with a CAD design that they fine-tuned to fit all the device’s intricate components. They explored every aspect of the device’s future use, including how the unit would fit into a medical bandage that could be comfortably worn for days by patients.

Source – npj Biomedical Innovations

At the core of the a-Heal are two mini PCBs. The main board is what handles the onboard computing and Wi-Fi transmission capabilities. The second board is dedicated to camera lighting. Its circular design features 12 tiny LEDs that ensure the camera captures crystal clear images of the wound during its healing processes.

Notably, the  PCBs sit within a transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) body that integrates space for the bioelectric actuators and their reservoirs. This 3D-printed waterproof enclosure features a single USB-C charging port.

Onboard Camera & Z-Stack Imaging

There is also an onboard camera that uses a plano-convex lens that works with the illumination ring to produce vivid images.  Interestingly, the camera’s image module records 11 images in z-stack imaging as a way to enhance image quality.  This approach allows the camera to adjust its focus to different planes to gain a better overview of the wound. From there, the data is sent wirelessly to the ML Physician.

Bioelectronic Actuators

The device also features 2 bioelectric actuators capable of delivering electric fields or drugs. This dynamic closed-loop system was set up to administer fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or an optimized healing electrical field. Notably, the bioelectronic actuators were set up to administer fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), or an optimized healing electrical field. In this localized context, fluoxetine helps increase serotonin availability in wound tissue, which may decrease inflammation and accelerate healing.

ML Physician

Artificial intelligence plays a vital role in the a-Heal treatment strategy. Specifically, the team leveraged the Deep Mapper AI algorithm to enable their device to recognize every stage of the healing process across a massive array of wounds.

The training involved running millions of simulations. Each simulation rewarded the AI for speeding up the healing processes, such as minimizing the time to wound closure. Keenly, the AI attempted millions of trial-and-error runs before achieving a comprehensive overview that enabled it to accurately determine wound status and adapt the therapy based on personal metrics.

Human Physicians

This data, collected by a-Heal’s sensor pack, gets sent to human physicians throughout their entire process, enabling them to step in and fine-tune treatments when needed. The platform includes an intuitive, secure web interface that provides valuable insight into the patient’s current state. This data includes records of the wound progress and future predictions, including potential risks.

Optimization

At every stage of the process, the AI reevaluates the wound’s progress via new images and diagnostic data. These cycles help the AI physician to spot any new developments, recommend changes if needed, or flag potential risks. During every stage, the AI seeks to hit its goal by comparing the wound’s progress to optimal healing conditions and adjusting treatments to achieve the same results.

a-Heal Clinical Testing

The a-Heal testing process included a preclinical trial where the device was used to simulate healing on porcine excisional wound models.  This wound model was selected because it has been widely studied and used for other treatments. The testing period lasted 22 days, and it revealed some impressive results.

a-Heal Healing Results

The a-Heal managed to increase healing times by 25% faster on the test model. Upon deeper investigation, the scientist revealed that its timely treatments resulted in enhanced tissue regeneration, reduced inflammation, and accelerated healing across the board.

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AI-Assisted Wound Healing via the a-Heal Benefits

There are several benefits that a-Heal brings to the market. For one, it will make it much more affordable to provide personalized wound diagnostics and therapy to patients. This approach could open the door for a more democratic global health system that provides real-time treatment solutions to anyone, anywhere.

Additionally, the AI will continually learn and could develop even more effective therapies in the future. Its ability to continuously monitor and adjust to each patient’s unique requirements, coupled with its ability to provide treatments without external interventions, makes it a game-changer.

Easy to Use

One of the biggest benefits of this study is that the new device is easy to use. It’s packaged directly into a bandage, meaning that healthcare professionals don’t have to resort to invasive surgeries to gain direct insight into the healing process.

Additionally, the use of commercially available bandages from Colostomy means reduced costs and additional availability. Notably, these bandages have been upgraded slightly to ensure that they provide the highest level of comfort while remaining securely attached to the patient.

a-Heal Real-World Applications & Timeline:

There are many applications for the a-Heal treatment system. This device can accelerate healing, operating like a tiny microscope and AI physician. As AI systems grow more powerful and the technology shrinks further, these devices may become completely unnoticeable when worn.

The prime application for this device will be to help those suffering from wounds heal faster. It will also play a vital role in providing valuable real-time data for physicians and future AI systems that will be built from the ground up to improve healing times.

a-Heal Timeline

It could be 7-10 years before a-Heal becomes commercially available to the public. The device still has to undergo lots of clinical trials before it can qualify for approval for use in hospitals and other medical facilities. Additionally, the team will need to cultivate industrial partnerships.

AI-Assisted Wound Healing via the a-Heal Researchers

The Towards adaptive bioelectronic wound therapy with integrated real-time diagnostics and machine learning–driven closed-loop control paper was hosted at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The paper lists UC Santa Cruz Baskin Engineering Endowed Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Marco Rolandi as the lead on the project.

Rolandi worked with a team of engineers, developers, and researchers, including Houpu Li, Hsin-ya Yang, Fan Lu, Wan Shen Hee, Narges Asefifeyzabadi, Prabhat Baniya, Anthony Gallegos, Kaelan Schorger, Kan Zhu, Cynthia Recendez, Maryam Tebyani, Manasa Kesapragada, Gordon Keller, Sujung Kim, George Luka, Ksenia Zlobina, Tiffany Nguyen, Sydnie Figuerres, Celeste Franco, Koushik Devarajan, Alexie Barbee, Kylie Lin, Shannon M. Clayton, and Annabelle Eato, to bring the project to life.

AI-Assisted Wound Healing via the a-Heal Future

The future of a-Heal looks bright. As the use of smart bandages continues to expand, more people will seek out these products. As a-Heal offers a unique upgrade to this already advanced tech, it has the potential to become a popular option. Its small size and big capabilities are sure to find support from healthcare professionals and investors eager to drive AI healthcare systems.

Innovative Company in the Medical Device Sector

The medical device sector is a billion-dollar industry that combines multiple sciences to deliver groundbreaking treatments to the world. These companies spend millions yearly to try and improve patient outcomes and enhance current treatments. Here’s one company that continues to drive innovation while helping to guide the market.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson, and Company was founded in New York by a pharmacist and an engineer seeking to provide access to high-end medical tools. Maxwell W. Becton and Fairleigh S. Dickinson officially incorporated in 1906 as Becton, Dickinson & Company after nearly a decade of importing thermometers and syringes from Europe.

Becton, Dickinson, and Company was an innovative powerhouse, introducing key products like the ACE bandage in 1918 and pioneering purpose-built syringes for insulin injection in 1924. Today, the company holds several patents for game-changing medical developments.

Becton, Dickinson and Company went public in 1963. It has seen considerable support from institutional and private investors since its entrance into the market, and it remains a pioneering firm that offers game-changing products like automated medication dispensing systems and more.

Those seeking access to the medical device sector should do more research into Becton, Dickinson and Company. Its history spans over a century and includes many major medical innovations. As such, it’s considered a reputable manufacturer with future growth potential.

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AI-Assisted Wound Healing via the a-Heal | Conclusion

The a-Heal system is a significant upgrade to the previous wearables. The integration of an illuminated camera enables the device to provide a level of personalized insight that would only be possible with inpatient care. All of these factors could make a-Heal an effective treatment option in the future.

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References

^{1. Li, H., Yang, H., Lu, F., Hee, W. S., Asefifeyzabadi, N., Baniya, P., Gallegos, A., Schorger, K., Zhu, K., Recendez, C., Tebyani, M., Kesapragada, M., Keller, G., Kim, S., Luka, G., Zlobina, K., Nguyen, T., Figuerres, S., Franco, C., . . . Rolandi, M. (2025). Towards adaptive bioelectronic wound therapy with integrated real-time diagnostics and machine learning–driven closed-loop control. Npj Biomedical Innovations, 2(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44385-025-00038-6}