Pukyong National University and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Develop Advanced pH Sensor

Treatment Function Added to Wound Measurement Sensor

A joint research team from the National Pukyong National University and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology has developed an advanced pH sensor with antibacterial and wound healing functions.

The advanced pH sensor developed by the joint research team not only monitors the wound condition in real time but also simultaneously implements antibacterial and wound recovery promotion functions. The surface of the wearable sensor, which measures the acidity (pH) that changes according to the wound condition in real time for wound management, was specially treated.

When skin wound healing is delayed due to infection, it can progress to chronic wounds. However, the polyimide material mainly used in pH sensors has the problem of slowing wound healing, so research on developing new materials has been underway.

The research team introduced cationic/amphiphilic functional groups with positive charges on the surface of the polyimide film by conjugating basic amino acids to the surface of the polyimide material, which is frequently used as a sensor material, thereby producing a cationic/amphiphilic pH sensor film.

This film exhibited antibacterial sterilization function and hydrophilicity simultaneously, showing an effect of promoting early wound recovery.

Image of a pH sensor film for wound management with antibacterial and wound healing functionalities.

Dr. Dongwook Lee of the research team said, “It is significant that we developed a multifunctional single wearable device by improving the surface of polymer materials used previously,” and added, “We expect that the pH sensor film will help efficiently manage wounds and assist patients suffering from chronic wounds.”

The joint research team included Researcher Dongwook Lee (Major in Industrial Chemistry, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology) and Researcher Sechang Kim (Major in Biomedical Engineering) from Pukyong National University, Dr. Dongyoon Choi from the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Professor Wonkyoo Jung (Major in Biomedical Engineering, Marine Bionics Technology Convergence Center), and Professor Myungjun Moon (Major in Industrial Chemistry) from Pukyong National University.

This research was supported by the Pukyong National University Autonomous Creative Academic Research Fund.

The paper containing the research results, titled ‘Basic amino acid-mediated cationic amphiphilic surfaces for antimicrobial pH monitoring sensor with wound healing effects,’ was recently published in the world-renowned journal in the field of biomedical engineering, Biomaterials Research (IF 15.863).

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