Disposable Silicone Patch with Edge-Lit LEDs for Scar Therapy
Solution Overview
Problem
Current dermal repair systems for post-wound and scar management, such as silicone gel sheets and light therapy devices, face issues with convenience, hygiene, comfort, and effectiveness due to their design, which includes fibers, wires, and bulkiness, leading to user inconvenience and limited portability.
Innovation Solution
A dermal repair system comprising a smart, flexible silicone sheet with integrated edge-lit LED light sources and a microcontroller for programmable low-level light therapy, combined with compression and hydration, allowing for easy positioning and detachment for cleaning, and wireless rechargeability, eliminating the need for fibers and wires, and providing a compact, comfortable solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicone gel sheets are used for scar management, then scar height reduction and color improvement are achieved, but user convenience deteriorates due to twice-daily removal, washing, and placement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable adhesive patches that are applied once and discarded after use, eliminating the need for repeated removal, washing, and reapplication. Each patch is designed for single-use, ensuring hygiene while maintaining ease of operation for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated patch: silicone gel for scar management, adhesive backing for secure attachment, and LED lighting for visual guidance. This merging eliminates the need for separate application steps and reduces user burden.
2Reliability
If silicone sheets are made excessively sticky to ensure adherence, then attachment reliability is improved, but handling and washing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
By making the patch disposable, the patent can use highly adhesive materials without concern for removal difficulty. The strong adhesive ensures reliable attachment during use, while the disposable nature eliminates the need for removal and washing, resolving the handling difficulty issue.
3Productivity
If silicone sheets are made reusable and washable, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but hygiene risk increases due to potential contamination with dead cells, dust, debris, and bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable patches that are discarded after single use, completely eliminating hygiene risks associated with contamination. The low cost of individual disposable patches makes this approach cost-effective, as there is no need for expensive cleaning, sterilization, or maintenance infrastructure.
4Duration of action of moving object
If silicone sheets are used for extended wear periods, then treatment continuity is improved, but degradation and foul odor development occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable patches with designed shelf life, replacing them before degradation or odor development occurs. This ensures treatment continuity through consistent application of fresh patches, while eliminating the harmful effects of degradation and foul odors associated with extended wear.
5Illumination intensity
If fiber optic arrays are used to deliver light therapy, then light distribution is improved, but device complexity and skin comfort deteriorate due to rigid structures and wires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light delivery function from complex fiber optic arrays and implements it through simple LED elements integrated directly into the adhesive patch. This eliminates rigid structures and wires, reducing device complexity while maintaining effective light distribution for therapeutic purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible thin-film LED structures that conform to the skin surface, replacing rigid fiber optic arrays. This maintains light distribution effectiveness while dramatically reducing structural complexity and improving skin comfort through flexibility and absence of wires.
6Weight of moving object
If LED light sources are integrated into bandage area, then portability is improved, but device complexity increases due to wiring and control units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the LED light source, adhesive patch, and control circuitry into a single integrated disposable unit. This consolidation maintains portability by eliminating separate wiring and control components, while the simplicity of the integrated design actually reduces overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the entire LED-integrated patch disposable, the patent can use simple, low-cost LED components without complex wiring or reusable control units. This maintains portability while dramatically reducing device complexity through the disposable nature of the integrated component.
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 system offers improved wound healing and scar management by providing continuous, uniform light therapy with reduced bacterial growth and odor, enhanced comfort, and convenience, accelerating the healing process while being cost-effective and easy to use.
Implementation Method 1
edge-lit LED light sources
Implementation Method 2
compressive hydration retention
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
This invention provides for a dermal repair system including a dermal repair device (600) which is configured to be placed on the skin of a user. The dermal repair device is in the form of a removable silicone sheet which can be securely fixed in place and re-used after cleaning etc. The silicone sheet includes sheet sections (630, 640) and a housing section (610) into which a rechargeable control unit (620) can removably be inserted. Waveguides (650, 680) in the form of a dimple teardrop pattern are provided for directing radiation or light to distal ends of the sheet. The control unit (620) includes a low-level radiation or light source from which radiation or light is directed along the sheet for a therapy regimen to treat closed wounds and scars, such as, C-section and breast surgery closed wounds and scars to improve healing and scar appearance. The system further comprises a recharging station configured for recharging the control unit (620).