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To investigate the impact of electrode structure on Electrical Stimulation Therapy (EST) for chronic wound healing, this study designed three variants of flexible microelectrodes (FMs) with Ag-Cu coverings (ACCs), each exhibiting distinct geometrical configurations: hexagonal, cross-shaped, and serpentine. These were integrated with PPY/PDA/PANI (3/6) (full name: polypyrrole/polydopamine/polyaniline 3/6). Hydrogel dressing comprehensive animal studies, coupled with detailed electrical and mechanical modeling and simulations, were conducted to assess their performance. Results indicated that the serpentine-shaped FM outperformed its counterparts in terms of flexibility and safety, exhibiting minimal thermal effects and a reduced risk of burns. Notably, FMs with metal coverings under 3% demonstrated promising potential for optoelectronic self-powering capabilities. Additionally, simulation data highlighted the significant influence of hydrogel non-uniformity on the distribution of electrical properties across the skin surface, providing critical insights for optimizing EST protocols when employing hydrogel dressings.

Laser diode pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSLs) have been widely used in many fields, and their thermal effects have attracted more and more attention. The laser diode (LD) side-pumped amplifier, as a key component of DPSSLs, is necessary for effective heat dissipation. In this paper, instead of the common thermal analysis based only on a crystal rod model, a fluid–structure interaction model including a glass tube, cooling channel, coolant and crystal rod is established in numerical simulation using ANSYS FLUENT for the configuration of an LD array side-pumped laser amplifier. The relationships between cooling layer thickness, coolant velocity and maximum temperature, maximum equivalent stress, inlet pressure and the convective heat transfer coefficient are analyzed. The results show that the maximum temperature (or maximum equivalent stress) decreases with the increase in the coolant velocity; at low velocity, a larger cooling layer thickness with more coolant is not conductive enough for improved heat dissipation of the crystal rod; at high velocity, when the cooling layer thickness is above or below 1.5 mm, the influence of the cooling layer thickness on the maximum temperature can be ignored; and the effect of the cooling layer thickness on the maximum equivalent stress at high velocity is not very significant. The comprehensive influence of various factors should be fully considered in the design process, and this study provides an important reference for the design and optimization of a laser amplifier and DPSSL system.

Although nanomedicine has been highly investigated for cancer treatment over the past decades, only a few nanomedicines are currently approved and in the market; making this field poorly represented in clinical applications. Key research gaps that require optimization to successfully translate the use of nanomedicines have been identified, but not addressed; among these, the lack of control of the release pattern of therapeutics is the most important. To solve these issues with currently used nanomedicines (e.g., burst release, systemic release), different strategies for the design and manufacturing of nanomedicines allowing for better control over the therapeutic release, are currently being investigated. The inclusion of stimuli-responsive properties and prolonged drug release have been identified as effective approaches to include in nanomedicine, and are discussed in this paper. Recently, smart sustained release nanoparticles have been successfully designed to safely and efficiently deliver therapeutics with different kinetic profiles, making them promising for many drug delivery applications and in specific for cancer treatment. In this review, the state-of-the-art of smart sustained release nanoparticles is discussed, focusing on the design strategies and performances of polymeric nanotechnologies. A complete list of nanomedicines currently tested in clinical trials and approved nanomedicines for cancer treatment is presented, critically discussing advantages and limitations with respect to the newly developed nanotechnologies and manufacturing methods. By the presented discussion and the highlight of nanomedicine design criteria and current limitations, this review paper could be of high interest to identify key features for the design of release-controlled nanomedicine for cancer treatment.

Introduction: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is a severe medical emergency. Early diagnosis of HS is important for clinical treatment. In this paper, we report a flexible material-based heart sound monitoring device which can evaluate the degree of HS through a phonocardiogram (PCG) change. Methods: Progressive hemorrhage treatments (H1, H2, and H3 stage) were used in swine to build animal models. The PCG sensor was mounted on the chest of the swine. Routine monitoring was used at the same time. Results: This study showed that arterial blood pressure decreased significantly from the H1 phase, while second heart sound amplitude (S2A) and energy (S2E) decreased significantly from the H2 phase. Both S2A and S2E correlated well with BP (p < 0.001). The heart rate, pulse pressure variation and serum hemoglobin level significantly changed in the H3 stage (p < 0.05). Discussion: The change of second heart sound (S2) was at the H2 stage and was earlier than routine monitoring methods. Therefore, PCG change may be a new indicator for the early detection of HS severity.

Owing to the complex and long-term treatment of foot wounds due to diabetes and the limited mobility of patients, advanced clinical surgery often uses wearable flexible devices for auxiliary treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for self-powered biomedical devices to reduce the extra weight. We have prepared an electrically stimulated MEMS (Micro Electromechanical System) electrode integrated with wearable OPV (Organic photovoltaic). The wearable OPV is constructed of a bio-affinity PET-ITO substrate and a hundred-nanometer organic layer. Under sunlight and near-infrared light irradiation, a voltage and current are supplied to the MEMS electrode to generate an exogenous lateral electric field directed to the center of the wound. The results of in vitro cell experiments and diabetic skin-relieving biological experiments showed the proliferation of skin fibroblasts and the expression of transforming growth factors increased, and the skin wounds of diabetic mouse healed faster. Our research provides new insights for the clinical treatment of diabetes.