Applied Science and Engineering of Wound Dressings and their Clinical Effectiveness From Design Principles to Physiological Performance

Applied Science and Engineering of Wound Dressings and their Clinical Effectiveness: From Design Principles to Physiological Performance addresses the measurable physical, chemical, biomaterial, fluid structure, mechanical and thermal characteristics that are imperative for a dressing to effectively treat acute and chronic wounds. Divided into two parts, the book discusses the properties of wound dressings, their structure, and how they interact with skin surfaces based on scientific investigation and testing. It also discusses potential tradeoffs, including associated costs of manufacturing, clinical performance characteristics of a dressing, e.g., ease of application and removal, the ability of the dressing to stay in place, and more. This book will be valuable for all professionals involved in the treatment of all types of wounds, including biomedical engineers, material scientists, clinicians across all the relevant medical disciplines, industrialists and regulatory professionals in the field of wound care, academics, scientists and entrepreneurs in the field of medical devices, and undergraduate and graduate bioengineering and medical engineering students who are interested in the structure and function of wound dressings.

Part 1a: Introduction: An evidence-based, clinically relevant approach to dressing design and evaluation 1. Clinical wound care and management translated to the requirements from effective wound dressings Part 1b: Science and engineering of treatment dressings 2. Physical and chemical characteristics of common dressing materials 3. Material characteristics and dressing constructs and composites 4. Biocompatibility, biological & physiological impact of dressing materials and structures 5. Fluid-structure characteristics and interactions 6. Mechanical and contact characteristics 7. Thermal characteristics 8. Biological and physiological impacts of dressing performances 9. Theoretical interrelationships among dressing properties that affect performances Part 2: Clinical practice and patient experience criteria 10. Ease of clinical use and medical benefits 11. Acceptability to patients and immediate care givers 12. Cost-effectiveness 13. Potential trade-offs between engineering and clinical dressing requirements and patient experience

• Focuses specifically on the holistic science, engineering and medical-clinical applications of wound dressings
• Provides the most up-to-date knowledge on the design and evaluation of performances of wound dressings in both the acute and chronic wound fields
• Reviews relevant measurable physical, chemical, biomaterial, fluid-structure, mechanical and thermal characteristics that are important for a wound dressing to effectively treat acute and chronic tissue damage
• Describes the clinical practice and patient experience criteria that are pivotal for a dressing to effectively treat acute injuries and chronic wounds
• Discusses the direct healthcare costs involved in wound care, including the hospital environment, as well as specific nursing costs, the cost of the actual dressings, their supply/storage, and the costs associated with applying and removing the prescribed dressings