- Role
- Finalist
- Region
- Bay Area
- Pronouns
- she/her/hers
Taeyeon Eum
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Project
InfectAlert: pH Sensitive Burn Wound Hydrogel Dressing
Project #5205
Burn wound infections are a serious and potentially life-threatening health issue, especially in areas with limited access to medical care. Traditional detection methods often identify infections too late, when they are much more difficult to treat. To address this, we developed an affordable hydrogel dressing that can prevent serious infection by detecting early signs of microbial growth through pH-sensitive colour changes. After several trials, with different formulations each, the best hydrogel tested retained more than 97% of its water content after 72 hours, adhered well to the skin without leaving residue, and responded to an alkaline pH shift by colour change, shifting from yellow to blue, to signal a possible infection with a reaction time of approximately two seconds. This dressing provides a practical, low-cost solution for early infection monitoring and consequently wound care that is particularly suited for use where resources are limited.
- Challenge
- Disease and Illness
- Category
- Intermediate
- Type
- Innovation
- Project Partner
- Yes