Ulcer Prevention Patch

Healthcare’s current gold standard for the prevention of an ulcer is to reposition sedentary patients every 2 hours; this becomes a feaseability issue in hospitals with a large patient to nurse ratio. Furthermore, it is the combination of weight, time and risk which account for pressure ulcer development. These factors vary in severity from patient to patient. UTSA researchers have developed a device that can detect and prevent the formation of pressure ulcers in multiple sites of the body. The design of this device harnesses the prolonged or intense pressure that is causal in the development of a pressure ulcer. It consists of a fluid chamber, or sachet containing a chemiluminescent agent and dye, and is positioned between the patient and the bed. This design restricts flow to 50% time required to form the ulcer. Fluid collected in the collection member will fluoresce in low light conditions and be apparent as a bright color otherwise. This warning indication will allow healthcare providers with valuable information to reposition a patient, therefore preventing the development of a pressure ulcer. Robert Graham robert.graham@utsa.edu (210) 458-8139