Cocooning Wound for Healing
Kaisong Huang, Renjie Tan, Hanbai Wu, Yifan Si, Leqi Lei, Hanyue Lan, Chi Wai Kan, Wenjie Fang, Shuai Zhang, Ke Zhang, Jinlian Hu
Abstract
Wound healing is highly sensitive to environmental conditions. Under solar radiation, elevated wound temperatures and UV-rays can induce oxidative stress, disrupt the wound environment, provoke inflammation, and even cause thermal injury. Lower wound temperatures may hinder angiogenesis and immune function, thus delaying recovery. Inspired by silkworm cocooning for thermal comfort during metamorphosis, we developed the wound cocoon (W-cocoon) using a portable high-speed electro-blow spinning (EBS) device. The W-cocoon integrates radiative cooling and thermal insulation properties, providing both cooling (3.9 °C) under sunlight and warming (1.9 °C) indoors. Based on animal studies, the W-cocoon promotes wound recovery in indoor scenarios, while under solar radiation, its high reflectivity and UV-blocking ratio mitigate the negative effects of radiation, thus optimizing wound healing. Additionally, the W-cocoon exhibits superhydrophobic and hemophobic properties, which endow the dressing with antifouling capabilities and reduce pain during dressing changes.