Grant: Project Grant

Wound infection is a severe therapeutic problem that considerably delays wound healing while increasing treatment costs and mortality. Up to 68% of all wounds can become clinically infected, which quadruples treatment costs. The treatment of these infections necessitates quick and potentially at-home techniques. Current cutaneous infection diagnosis procedures are time-consuming and need frequent medical visits. However, seeing doctors on a regular basis is not always an option, particularly for people with limited mobility, those who reside in rural places, space travelers, members of the military services, or during pandemics. We recently created the first hydrogel dressing (GelDerm) produced in Canada that can detect infection in wounds using simple and quick (<15-minute) color-changing sensors. GelDerm can assist patients and healthcare professionals to implement de-escalation measures in a timely manner and before clinical symptoms arise. Previous in-lab and animal trials verified GelDerm's performance, biocompatibility, and safety. The goal of this research is to prepare GelDerm for human testing. To that end, we will conduct a series of in-lab, small and large animal investigations to verify GelDerm's biocompatibility, performance, sterility, and shelf-life under various operating and storage settings. We will prepare and submit Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) and Investigational Testing Authorization (ITA) to the FDA and Health Canada, respectively, in coordination with our clinical team and hydrogel manufacturing partner. The findings of this experiment will move our technology closer to practical use, eventually increasing the safety and quality of life of patients with cutaneous injuries. Furthermore, our technology is predicted to provide vital healthcare and economic advantages to Canada and beyond, propelling Canada to the forefront of this competitive area.