Ionic Liquid Wound Dressing for Biofilm Disruption

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wound healing technologies face challenges in effectively closing chronic wounds, particularly in diabetic patients, due to biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance, leading to prolonged healing times and aesthetic issues.

Innovation Solution

A wound care composition incorporating an ionic liquid, such as choline geranate, combined with a protein scaffold, which is electrospun and applied to a wound dressing, disrupting biofilms and enhancing healing by preventing pathogen growth and biofilm formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in wounds, then some bacterial growth is inhibited, but biofilm formation remains effective due to the exopolymeric layer blocking drug diffusion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantibacterial effectivenessVSAvoidbiofilm protection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the antimicrobial agent by using ionic liquids with specific cations (choline, trimethylamine) and anions (lactate, acetate, propionate) at controlled concentrations (0.01-10%). These parameter changes enable the antimicrobial composition to penetrate and disrupt the biofilm exopolymeric layer that protects bacteria from conventional antibiotics, thereby resolving the contradiction between antibacterial effectiveness and biofilm protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite materials by combining ionic liquids with protein scaffolds (collagen, gelatin, fibrin) and neutral species to create a multifunctional wound care composition. This composite structure provides both antimicrobial activity against biofilms and support for wound healing, addressing the limitation of conventional antibiotics that cannot penetrate biofilms while maintaining tissue compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If the skin environment is altered to prevent infection in implanted devices, then device contamination is reduced, but the risk to the organism from foreign agents increases due to compromised skin

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice contamination preventionVSAvoidpathogen contamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the ionic liquid antimicrobial composition specifically at the wound site and device interface where contamination risk is highest, rather than systemically altering the entire skin environment. The composition is applied topically to the compromised skin area, providing localized protection against pathogen contamination while maintaining the overall skin barrier function and reducing systemic risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The ionic liquid composition acts as an intermediary between the implanted device and the compromised skin environment. It forms a protective interface that prevents direct contact between foreign agents and the device while being biocompatible with human tissue, thus reducing pathogen contamination risk without requiring extensive alteration of the skin environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Duration of action of moving object

If chronic wounds are left open to allow healing, then tissue repair can occur, but the tissue remains vulnerable to infection with foreign agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehealing timeVSAvoidinfection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by applying the ionic liquid antimicrobial composition to the chronic wound before significant infection can establish itself. The composition is applied at the early stages of wound management to prevent biofilm formation and pathogen colonization, allowing the wound to heal over time without becoming vulnerable to severe infection. This proactive approach enables prolonged healing time while maintaining protection against foreign agents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition effectively reduces biofilm formation and bacterial growth on wound dressings, promoting accelerated wound closure and reducing the risk of infection, while maintaining human cell proliferation and attachment.

Implementation Method 1

Ionic liquids, such including deep eutectic solvents (DESs), is a family of molecules with diverse chemical properties... disrupting biofilms and enhancing healing by preventing pathogen growth and biofilm formation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAntimicrobial activity:

Implementation Method 2

a protein scaffold, which is electrospun and applied to a wound dressing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrospinning: Electrohydrodynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11344652B2Ionic liquids that sterilize and prevent biofilm formation in skin wound healing devices

Publication Date: 2022.05.31 DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY

AI summary

Compositions for enhancing wound healing are disclosed herein. Also disclosed are methods of making the compositions and methods of using the compositions for the prevention of biofilm formation and for the inhibition of pathogen growth and proliferation.