ACID COATING

WE HAVE DESIGNED A NOVEL WOUND DRESSING MATERIAL WHICH IS NONADHESIVE,BACTERICIDAL, BIOLOGICALLY COMPATIBLE (NONIMMUNOGENIC, NONINFLAMMATORY, NONTHROMBOGENIC) AND IMPERMEABLE TO BACTERIA. WOUND DRESSING MATERIALS IN USE TODAY (EXAMPLE: GAUZE) CAN BE TREATED WITH AN INSOLUBLE, ANTIBIOTIC-CONTAINING, HYALURONIC ACID (HA) COATING TO PROVIDE A PERMEABLE, NONADHESIVE (CLOTTED BLOOD-WET OR DRYWILL NOT BIND TO THIS SURFACE) BARRIER TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS HYDROPHILIC COATING WOULD DECREASE DEHYDRATION OF THE WOUND WHILE ALLOWING DIFFUSION OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT METABOLITES OUT OF THE WOUND, THEREBY REDUCING PAIN, SWELLING, AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE DRESSING MUST BE CHANGED. THIS HA COATING WOULD ALSO RESTRICT THE TRAFFIC OF BATERIA INTO THE WOUND WHILE THE ANTIBIOTIC PRESENT WOULD DIMINISH THE POSSIBILITY OF INFECTION DUE TO GROWTH OF BACTERIA ALREADY INHABITING THE WOUND SITE. A DRESSING OF THIS TYPE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO PROMOTE HEALING OF THE WOUND BY PROVIDING A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT (MOIST, WARM, NON-INFECTED, ABSENCE OF TISSUE REACTION) FOR CELLS TO GROW IN AND TO MIGRATE OVER THE WOUND SURFACE. PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF THIS TYPE OF WOUND DRESSING ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS PROPOSAL.