These hydrogel bandages have been created by a team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University as an eco-friendly and beneficial healthcare product that makes use of an unlikely material. The bandages are made using discarded durian husks along with glycerol that could be placed overtop of wounds to help offer antimicrobial effects. This would eliminate the need for others on the market that are crafted using polymers that aren't capable of biodegrading after use.
Professor William Chen, head of the project behind the hydrogel bandages, spoke on the initiative saying, "By using waste products which are currently discarded in large quantities – durian husks and glycerol – we could turn waste into a valuable biomedical resource that can enhance the speedy recovery of wounds and reduce chances of infections."
Discarded Durian Husk Bandages
These Hydrogel Bandages are Made with Fruit Waste
Trend Themes
1. Eco-friendly Bandages - Making use of discarded food waste and natural materials to create bandages that have antimicrobial effects can disrupt the traditional polymer-based bandage market.
2. Biodegradable Medical Products - Creating medical products that are biodegradable and environmentally friendly can disrupt the medical supplies industry.
3. Circular Economy Healthcare - Using waste products to create high-value biomedical resources can disrupt how we approach healthcare.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare Supplies - Manufacturing eco-friendly medical supplies can disrupt the traditional healthcare supplies industry.
2. Sustainability and Waste Management - Finding ways to use waste products and natural materials in medical products can disrupt traditional waste management industries.
3. Biomedical Research - Creating biomedical resources from natural materials can disrupt traditional biomedical research methods and approaches.