Smart Bandage Technology Could Lead to Better Patient Care
(NSU NEWSROOM – October 29, 2026) What if your bandages could communicate? That's exactly what Norfolk State University's Dr. Renny Edwin Fernandez is working on.
An associate professor in the Department of Engineering, Fernandez is advancing innovative smart-bandage technology that enables continuous wound monitoring and delivers better healthcare to patients.
His research integrates wearable and wireless sensors, flexible electronics, ultra-low-power systems, inter-bandage communication, and machine leaming. Multiple smart bandages can communicate with one another, creating a network that collects and transmits wound-related information. The technology is designed to operate for extended periods using low-power electronics and a compact battery.
“Unlike conventional dressings, each smart bandage incorporates dozens of integrated sensors that continuously monitor wound conditions, from local temperature and pH to biochemical changes in wound exudate,” said Fernandez. 'By working together as a network of interconnected devices, these smart bandages apply principles of swarm intelligence, combining information from many sensors to create a high-resolution view of the healing process and provide clinicians with actionable, data-driven insights.”
Dr. Fernandez and his team are exploring how this research can move from the lab to practical
healthcare applications.
Comments