A New Neuro-Muscular Stimulation System for the Treatment of Chronic Wounds

This project will look at the possibility of creating a new way to treat Chronic Wounds. These are a widespread problem and affect an estimated 40 million people in the world at any one time. Treatment has not changed for many decades and relies upon a specialist applying a compression bandage over the wound. These are uncomfortable to wear, for the vast majority of people, and are very difficult to fit even for well-trained professionals. Because of this, many patients remove their bandages and wounds take much longer to heal (6 months to a year) do not heal at all, or reappear. We have invented a small device that sits on the back of the knee and sends gentle electrical pulses to a nerve in the leg. This causes muscles to twitch and blood to flow in the leg. We have tested this effect in a number of case studies and found accelerated healing with serious wounds that had refused to heal. However, the device was designed for short term use to prevent blood clots from forming following operations in hospital and is designed to be used for hours not the days and weeks that would be needed to treat wounds. This project will investigate whether it is possible to create a new device specifically designed to treat wounds, that will that will stick to the patient for the much longer times needed to treat wounds - without irritating the skin - and that the patient themselves can fit and adjust easily. We will then conduct clinical trials to test the new device on wound patients to see if it performs better than bandages.