Australian scientists have developed a fabric that changes color to show a wound's condition. The invention could help reduce the more than $500 million spent in wound care in Australia.

Lead inventor Louse van der Werff, Monash University PhD and CSIRO materials scientist said "We hope that the dressing could lead to more rapid and effective treatment of chronic wounds such as leg ulcers, saving time and money, as well as improving patient well-being"

The fabric is composed of fibres that will change color in response to temperature. It is extremely sensitive with changes of less than a 0.5 of a degree. It will allow doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to determine the temperature across the wound without resorting to expensive electronic equipment. Physicians can simply use the color of the bandage to determine the severity of the wound.

"We expect that, when incorporated into a bandage it will allow nurses to quickly identify healing problems such as infection or interruptions to the blood supply, which are typically accompanied by a local increase or decrease in temperature," van der Werff added.

The team expects to turn the fabric into a working bandage. A manufacturer of bandages is already supporting the research. This new bandage could lead to more effective treatments by physicians and health professionals as well as allow patients to self-diagnose.

"Having the ability to collect a broader range of data on a wound's status will have a significant impact on the understanding of chronic wounds and how best to treat them," says Mr. Robin Cranston, the leader of the joint research project.

Chronic wounds are a problem in 3 percent of the Australian population. Significant delays in healing are caused by diabetes, infection or inflammation.

The research on the smart bandage is the result of Fresh Science a national program sponsored by the Australian government.