Three?dimensional shape?conformation performances of wound dressings tested in a robotic sacral pressure ulcer phantom

Effective exudate retention by dressings requires close and intimate dressing-wound contact, immediately continuously after the dressing application. Any spaces may allow for build-up of non-retained fluids, causing pooling which forms a favourable environment pathogen growth. Maceration follow if pooled exudates spread to peri-wound skin. Dressings with claimed 3D-shape-conformation technology are commercially available; however, their effectiveness in minimising gaps has never been scientifically investigated. We present novel bioengineering methodology testing such dressings, using our recently reported robotic phantom system sacral pressure ulcer. By means 3D laser scanning bespoke software, we reconstructed shapes simulated use calculated goodness-of-fit between each (swelled near-saturation) corresponding wound geometry. Two sizes (10 × 10 cm 12.5 cm) two depths (2.5 or 2 were considered. All tested far from reaching good contact (simulated) wounds: Approximately one-third volume nearly half surface not swelled dressings. Our findings question whether effective, revealing swelling behaviour was previously unknown.