Paper-based detection device for chronic wound monitoring

Chronic wounds are wounds that are impeded at a certain recovery stage and have failed to proceed through a normal healing process within 3 months. Annual costs from chronic wound care are approximately 5 billion to 10 billion dollars (1,2). According to the Wound Healing Society, chronic wounds can be classified into four categories: diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, and arterial insufficiency ulcers (3). During the long recovery time for chronic wounds, patients may undergo emotional or physical trauma, severe pain, a sense of social isolation, and reduced mobility (4). This may ultimately lead to additional, escalated adverse events including infection, amputation, Original Article