Bakgrund: Minst 25 000 personer i Sverige lever med svårläkta sår och siffran kommer troligtvis öka. Personer med svårläkta sår är en lågprioriterad grupp i vården. Det finns brister i det interprofessionella samarbetet samt i kontinuiteten. Dessutom besitter sjuksköterskor otillräcklig kompetens inom sårvård. Ett svårläkt sår definieras som en fullhudsskada, som inte läker inom sex veckor. Till svårläkta sår räknas oftast bensår, trycksår samt fotsår.Det finns många faktorer som kan påverka läkningen negativt, både yttre och inre faktorer. Sårrelaterade kostnader är en väsentlig del av sjukvårdsbudgeten i alla länder i Europa. Då populationen blir äldre och riskfaktorer ökar, kommer sårvårdskompetens bli mer efterfrågad. Förutom de ekonomiska påfrestningarna, både personliga och samhälleliga, har svårläkta sår stor påverkan på patientens livskvalitet. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa omvårdnad av personer med svårläkta sår ur patientens perspektiv. Metod: Denna studie genomfördes som en icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt och baserades på 15 forskningsartiklar med både kvalitativ och kvantitativ design. Sökningen genomfördes i databaserna Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] och Public Medline [PubMed], efter att sökord och avgränsningar utformats noga. Studiernas kvalitet bedömdes utifrån Sophiahemmet högskolas granskningsmall. Dataanalysen utfördes med hjälp av en integrerad analys. Resultat: Utifrån urvalet av artiklar kunde fem teman fastställas: betydelsen av kommunikation och information i omvårdnaden, delaktighet och inkludering i beslutsfattande, vårdkontinuitet, behov av bildning och ökad kontroll samt konsekvenser av svårläkta sår och påverkan på livskvalitet. Slutsats: En gemensam nämnare i de utvalda artiklarnas resultat var betydelsen av relationen mellan patient och sjuksköterska. Patienter önskade genuin förståelse, tydlig kommunikation samt delaktighet i beslutsfattande. Ökad delaktighet och en relation baserad på respekt ökade motivationen. För många personer innebar svårläkta sår förluster då de förlorade sin frihet, mobilitet och autonomi. / Background: At least 25,000 people in Sweden live with chronic wounds and the number is likely to increase. People living with chronic wounds are a low-priority group in healthcare. The interprofessional teamwork is inadequate, as is the continuity of patient care. In addition, nurses lack sufficient competence in wound care. A chronic wound is defined as a full-thickness ulcer that has not healed in six weeks. Leg ulcers, pressure ulcers and foot ulcers are wounds that are most often counted as chronic ulcers. There are many factors that can adversely affect healing, both external and internal factors. Wound-related costs are a significant part of healthcare budgets across Europe. As the population ages and risk factors rise, wound care competence will increasingly be requested. In addition to the financial strain, both personal and social, chronic wounds have a major impact on the patient's quality of life. Aim: The aim of this review was to, from the patient's perspective, illustrate nursing care when caring for people with chronic wounds. Method: This study was conducted as a non-systematic literature review and was based on 15 research articles, with both qualitative and quantitative. The search was implemented in the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] and Public Medline [PubMed], using carefully chosen keywords and delimitations. The quality of the studies was assessed on the basis of Sophiahemmet University's review template. The data analysis was performed using integrated analysis. Results: Based on the selection of articles, five themes could be determined: the significance of communication and information in nursing care, patient participation and inclusion in decision-making, care continuity, the need for patient education and self-care as well as consequences of difficult-to-heal wounds and the impact on quality of life. Conclusions: A common denominator in the results of the selected articles was the importance of the relationship between patient and nurse. Patients wished for genuine understanding, clear communication and wanted to participate in decision making. Increased patient participation and a relationship based on respect increased compliance. For many patients, chronic wounds signified loss, as they perceived that they lost their freedom, mobility, and autonomy.

No description available.

No description available.

As society draws closer to the post-antibiotic era and the pipeline for alternatives dries, there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial therapies that do not promote bacterial resistance, particularly for immunocompromised chronic wound patients. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including human-derived LL37, show considerable promise as broad spectrum alternatives that also have wound healing properties; however, few have been clinically implemented as novel antimicrobials due to their cytotoxicity stemming from a poor understanding of their mechanisms and low stability in vivo. It has been suggested that tethering, or attaching AMPs onto surfaces, is a viable strategy of delivering bioactive AMPs to surfaces while reducing cytotoxicity and improving stability. Thus, we designed new chimeric versions of LL37 with collagen-binding domains (CBD), derived from collagenase (cCBD-LL37) and fibronectin (fCBD-LL37) for non-covalent tethering onto collagen, a prevalent biopolymer in commercially available wound dressings and scaffolds. Our overall hypothesis was that CBDs would mediate stable tethering of broadly active, non-cytotoxic CBD-LL37 onto collagen-based scaffolds. We first studied the loading, release and bioactivities (e.g. antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity) of each CBD-LL37 on commercially available 100% collagen type I PURACOL® wound scaffolds. We found that both cCBD-LL37 and fCBD-LL37 bound highly to collagen, were active against relevant wound pathogens, demonstrated stable activity after 14 days of release, and were not cytotoxic to human fibroblasts. The addition of different CBDs onto LL37 also markedly altered their soluble bioactivities. Using similar methods, we then studied the loading, release and bioactivity of each CBD-LL37 on a commercially available FIBRACOL® wound scaffolds, comprised of 90% collagen type I and 10% calcium alginate biopolymers. We found that both cCBD-LL37 and fCBD-LL37 also bound highly to and retained on collagen for 14 days, but were only active against Gram-negative P. aeruginosa. This suggested that the presence other biopolymers in addition to collagen, which is common among commercial wound dressings, could cause significant differences in binding, retention and bioactivities of CBD-LL37. To better understand how CBD modification affected CBD-LL37 structure leading to different bioactivities, we studied the CBD sequence-, peptide structure-, concentration-, time-, and bilayer composition-dependent interactions of soluble CBD-LL37 and compared these findings with the properties of unmodified LL37. Using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), and fluorescent bilayer imaging we determined the structural basis behind CBD alterations in bioactivities. MD and CD, in addition to other intrinsic CBD properties (helicity, amphiphilicity, charge) we hypothesized that cCBD-LL37 utilized similar mechanisms as unmodified LL37 while fCBD-LL37 demonstrated based primarily on surface adsorption. We used QCM-D and Voigt-Kelvin viscoelastic modeling to determine the time- and concentration-dependent interactions of unmodified LL37 with model mammalian lipid bilayers, the mechanisms of which are still controversial in literature despite being widely studied. These results were used to propose a model for the interaction mechanism of LL37 with zwitterionic bilayers that aligned with its bioactive concentrations. LL37 adsorbed at concentrations where it is immunomodulatory until reaching a threshold which corresponded with its antimicrobial concentrations. The threshold was correlated to lipid bilayer saturation, after which LL37 formed transmembrane pores. We observed collapse of the bilayer into a rigid proteolipid film at concentrations higher than the reported cytotoxic threshold of LL37. The mechanistic and structural information for each CBD-LL37 and unmodified LL37 provided a baseline for QCM-D and Voigt-Kelvin viscoelastic modeling to further elucidate the time-, concentration-, lipid composition- and CBD sequence-dependent basis behind the observed bioactivities of cCBD-LL37 and fCBD-LL37. We found that similar to LL37, cCBD-LL37 demonstrated pore formation mechanisms likely due to their similar charges, structural content and amphiphilicity. fCBD-LL37 demonstrated time-dependent, adsorption-based mechanism likely due to its anchoring aromatic residues, low charge, and low amphiphilicity. Knowledge gained from this study allowed mechanistic predictions of two newly designed hypothetical CBD-LL37 peptides. Results from this study contribute to a better understanding of a new class of antimicrobial, non-cytotoxic therapies based on collagen-tethered CBD-LL37, bringing it closer to clinical implementation in chronic wound applications and demonstrate the viability of biopolymer tethering as a platform toward using AMPs to quench the resistance crisis.

This theme of thesis treats about the issue of prevention, emergence, healing and therapy of chronic wounds in nursing care at intensive care unit. The occurrence of this disease is unfortunately still rising and nowadays it is an actual theme which is a part of modern nursing. The target of this thesis was to find out the level of awareness of general nurses working at specialized departments about modern technologies of therapy and care of healing chronic wounds. One of the partial targets was to find out, how are the nurses educated in nursing care o chronic wounds. The next target was looking for the factors which can influence the nurses' position of knowledge about the treatment of chronic wounds. Quantitative research was based on anonymous questionnaire in three chosen hospitals of Central Bohemia region. There were 11 departments of acute intensive care. The sample of research was based on the answers of general nurses working at resuscitation department and acute intensive care department. There were distributed 220 questionnaires and were used 124. One of the result of research was, that the 56 (45%) of general nurses has good awareness in nursing care of chronic wounds and they were interested in future education in this issue. The major part of questioned 79 (64%) prefers following...

Orientador: Rosana Rossi-Ferreira / Resumo: Introdução: As úlceras ou feridas crônicas, são lesões de pele que não cicatrizam e que podem comprometer desde a epiderme até as camadas mais profundas, como músculos, tendões e ossos. Definir um tratamento ideal, ainda é um desafio. A cicatrização, envolve a adesão ao tratamento pelo paciente, a reação do organismo à proposta terapêutica, o comportamento do paciente em relação aos cuidados com a ferida, o manejo com o curativo e os aspectos gerais da manutenção de sua saúde. As demandas sociais, econômicas e culturais, geram fortes influências no tratamento das feridas e atrapalham indiretamente a cicatrização. Objetivos: Correlacionar fatores sócio demográficos e educacionais como preditores para a ocorrência de feridas crônicas, comparando-se indivíduos saudáveis com portadores de feridas crônicas. Casuística e Método: Foram utilizados dois questionários semiestruturados, distintos e customizados com dados sócio demográficos e aspectos da doença. Delimitou-se duas populações: Grupo 1 - constituído pela população geral saudável e o Grupo 2 - constituído por pessoas portadoras de feridas crônicas. Resultados e discussão: Os dois grupos conhecem algum tipo de tratamento caseiro para tratar feridas, contudo não detém conhecimento suficiente sobre feridas crônicas e das terapias convencionais prescritas pela medicina. Ambos os grupos possuem crenças, mitos e preconceitos sobre cicatrização de feridas. Paciente e família não recebem informações por escrito de como devem fazer o... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Chronic wound is still a challenge for medicine, either to define its cause and for selecting an optimal treatment. Healing is a long and complex process. It involves adherence to the treatment by the patient, the reaction of the organism to the therapeutic treatment, the patient's behavior regarding wound care, handling the dressing, and general aspects to maintain health, especially if there are other chronic diseases. Social, economic and cultural demands can also generate strong influences upon the treatment of wounds and healing process, since the population, in general, believes in myths, misconceptions and prejudices about wound healing, a knowledge that has been passed on empirically for generations, which may be harmless or extremely harmful. The objective of this study was to correlate socio-demographic and educational factors as predictors for the occurrence of chronic wounds, comparing healthy individuals with patients with chronic wounds. Two semistructured instruments were employed; a questionnaire, specific and customized, seeking socio demographic data, knowledge about chronic wounds, medical treatment of wounds, alternative and unconventional therapies and knowledge about bio-curative. Two populations were delimited: Group 1 - constituted by the healthy population, in general, and Group 2 - constituted by people with chronic wounds. It was observed that both groups are aware of some kind of home treatment to treat wounds, but they do not have sufficient knowl... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Background: Chronic wounds are a long-term condition which means that the wound does not heal within the normal time frame. Good care is a growing need when it comes to chronic wounds. Healthcare needs more knowledge about how they can cater and meet this need. Aim: The purpose of the literature review was to describe patients' experiences of living with chronic wounds. Method: A literature review based on 11 qualitative articles. A thematic analysis was done.The databases used to search for data were CINAHL and Pubmed. Results: The results identified two main themes. Creates limitations in everyday life with subthemes: Reduced social interaction and Pain problems. The main theme Significant forwound healing has the subthemes: Become your own wound expert and Good care relationship. Conclusion: Living with a chronic wound meant decreased spontaneity. The opportunity to influence one's own everyday life is limited because of the wound. The nurse has an important role to play in being able to apply person-centered care. The nurse can facilitate the person's everyday life and contribute to an improved quality of life. Further research should be done to increase the quality of care for wounds that are difficult to heal. / Bakgrund: Svårläkta sår är ett långvarigt tillstånd som innebär att såret inte läker inom normal tidsram. God vård och omsorg är ett växande behov vad det gäller svårläkta sår. Hälso- och sjukvården behöver mer kunskap om hur de kan tillgodose och möta detta behov. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att beskriva patienters upplevelser av att leva med svårläkta sår.  Metod: En litteraturöversikt baserad på 11 kvalitativa artiklar, vilka analyserades med tematisk analys. Databaserna som användes för att söka fram data var CINAHL och Pubmed.  Resultat: I resultatet identifierades två huvudteman: Skapar begränsningar i vardagen med subteman: Minskad social interaktion och Smärtproblematik. Huvudtemat: Betydelsefullt för sårläkningen har subteman: Bli sin egen sårexpert och God vårdrelation. Slutsats: Att leva med ett svårläkt sår innebar en minskad spontanitet. Möjligheten till att påverka sin egen vardag blir begränsad till följt av såret. Sjuksköterskan har en viktig roll för att kunna tillämpa en personcentrerad vård. Sjuksköterskan kan underlätta personens vardag och bidra till en förbättrad livskvalitet. Vidare forskning bör göras för att öka kvaliteten på omvårdnaden vid svårläkta sår.

Wunden, die über eine Zeit von mehreren Monaten nicht abheilen, werden als chronische Wunden bezeichnet. Vor allem ältere Menschen sind betroffen. Infektionen mit Antibiotika-resistenten Bakterien können weitere Schwierigkeiten bei der Behandlung und Heilung hervorrufen. Zur Behandlung von chronischen Wunden entwickeln wir daher eine Hydrogel-basierte Wundauflage, welche heilungsfördernde Substanzen in die Wunde abgibt. Diese sind zum einen Bakteriophagen, also Viren, die Bakterien befallen und so die Infektion bekämpfen und zum anderen Wachstumsfaktoren, welche die Bildung von gesundem Gewebe anregen. Das Hydrogel wird mit diesen angereichert und reagiert mit Proteasen in der Wunde, sodass es sich teilweise auflöst und die Substanzen freigesetzt werden. Das Hydrogel basiert auf dem Polymer starPEG, welches gut verträglich ist. An einigen Stellen werden Peptide in das Hydrogel eingebaut, die von den Proteasen, welche von Bakterien oder dem Immunsystem produziert werden, zerschnitten werden. Die menschlichen Wachstumsfaktoren werden in Hefe produziert, indem die entsprechende DNA per Plasmid in diese eingebaut wird. Ein System zur effizienten Sekretion der Wachstumsfaktoren wird getestet, wodurch die Reinigung dieser für den medizinischen Einsatz erleichtert werden soll. Weiterhin wird eine computergestützte Design-Pipeline entwickelt, die es erlauben soll, verschiedene Hydrogel-Kompositionen in-silico zu testen. Damit sollen Kosten und Aufwand für Entwicklung und Anpassungen reduziert werden. Das Projekt findet im Rahmen des iGEM-Wettbewerbs im Bereich der Synthetischen Biologie statt und läuft bis zum Oktober 2022. Ziel ist es, bis dahin die einzelnen Bestandteile des Produkts zu entwickeln und im Labor getrennt zu testen. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass Bakteriophagen vom Hydrogel abgegeben werden und immer noch in der Lage sind, Bakterien abzutöten. Weiterhin soll die Diffusion der produzierten Wachstumsfaktoren aus dem Hydrogel quantifiziert werden.:Chronic wounds A new dressing for treating chronic wounds Results

Die messtechnische Erfassung humanphysiologischer Parameter ist für die moderne Wundheilkunde, vor allem für die Diagnostik und Behandlung chronischer Wunden, von äußerster Wichtigkeit. Es werden biosensorischen Systeme benötigt, die einerseits eine ausreichende Messgenauigkeit auf-weisen müssen, andererseits in Wundverbände und Wundbandagen integriert werden können. In dieser Arbeit werden textile Sensorsysteme für die In-situ-Erfassung physiologischer Parameter entwickelt, die die Messung der Wundtemperatur, der Wundfeuchte, des pH- und Lactatwerts sowie die Konzentration neutrophiler Fängermoleküle (neutrophil extracellular traps - NET) des Wundexsudats ermöglichen. Die Auslegung und Entwicklung dieser Sensoren erfolgt gemäß medizinischen, messtechnischen und textiltechnischen Anforderungen. Die Herstellung der Sensoren erfolgt durch das Flechten, mit dem Funktions-, Elektroden- als auch Strukturmaterialien textiltechnisch zu komplexen Konstruktionen verarbeitet werden. Für die Integration einzelner, garnförmiger Sensoren werden die textilen Flächenbildungsverfahren des Stickens, des Strickens, des Webens und des Wirkens untersucht. Hierzu wird eine anforderungsgerechte Anordnung der Sensoren entwickelt, die in der geometrischen Gestalt marktüblichen Wundverbänden entspricht. Die Einzelsensoren werden anschließend elektrisch kontaktiert und mit Zuleitungen zu einem Sensorsystem verknüpft. Die Einzelsensoren werden umfangreich experimentell charakterisiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Messfähigkeit und messtechnischer Stabilität bei mechanischen Einflüssen sowie Einsetzbarkeit untersucht. Hierzu werden insbesondere die messtechnischen Empfindlichkeiten, das Hysterese-, Einschwing- und Langzeitverhalten untersucht. In den mechanischen Untersuchungen werden Querdruck-, Zug- und Biegebelastung der Einzelsensoren betrachtet. Anhand der Untersuchungen der Quereinflüsse der Sensoren untereinander sowie auch die Betrachtung der Biokompatibilität soll ein Gesamtbild der Anwendbarkeit des Systems geschaffen werden. Abschließend werden Konzepte für eine allgemeingültige Auslegung und Anwendung von Bio-Sensorsystemen entwickelt, die auch für andere Anwendungsbereiche abseits der sensorischen Untersuchung chronischer Wunden gültig sind. Mit den in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Sensoren und Sensorsystemen soll ein Beitrag zur verbesserten Echtzeit-Diagnostik sowie auch Wundbehandlung geleistet und auch aufgezeigt werden, dass eine Herstellung und Integration von komplexer Sensorik mit textiltechnischen Verfahren möglich ist. Dies erfordert die Konzeption und die technologische Umsetzung neuer Verfahren zur Herstellung von textilbasierten Wundmonitoringsensoren sowie die Fertigung von Funktionsdemonstratoren.:Vorwort und Danksagung v Kurzfassung vii Abstract ix Inhaltsverzeichnis xi Abkürzungs- und Symbolverzeichnis xiv 1 Einleitung und Problemstellung 1 2 Stand der Technik und Forschung 4 2.1 Einführung 4 2.1.1 Physiologie und Biosensorik. 4 2.1.2 Chronische Wunden 5 2.1.3 Temperatur 7 2.1.4 Feuchte 8 2.1.5 pH-Wert 9 2.1.6 Lactat 10 2.1.7 NET-Konzentration 11 2.2 Anforderungen an die physiologischen Sensoren 11 2.2.1 Medizinische Anforderungen 11 2.2.2 Messtechnische Anforderungen 13 2.2.3 Textiltechnische Anforderungen 15 2.3 Temperatursensorik 16 2.3.1 Theoretische Grundlagen 16 2.3.2 Sensorprinzipien und Messverfahren 16 2.4 Feuchtesensorik 22 2.4.1 Theoretische Grundlagen 22 2.4.2 Sensorprinzipien und Messverfahren 25 2.5 pH-Wertsensorik 29 2.5.1 Theoretische Grundlagen 29 2.5.2 Sensorprinzipien und Messverfahren 30 2.6 Lactatsensorik 34 2.6.1 Theoretische Grundlagen 34 2.6.2 Sensorprinzipien und Messverfahren 35 2.7 NET-Sensorik 38 2.7.1 Theoretische Grundlagen 38 2.7.2 Sensorprinzipien und Messverfahren 38 2.8 Textile Verfahren zur Herstellung von Biosensorik 40 2.8.1 Vorteile und Nachteile textiler Sensorik 41 2.8.2 Faserbasierte Sensorik 41 2.8.3 Garnbasierte Sensorik 42 2.8.4 Flächenbasierte Sensorik 45 2.8.5 Verfahrensauswahl 48 2.8.6 Applikations- bzw. Integrationsverfahren 48 2.9 Sensorsysteme 51 2.9.1 Kontaktierung 52 2.9.2 Signalübertragung 55 2.9.3 Datenerfassung und -auswertung 56 2.10 Zusammenfassende Betrachtung 57 3 Auslegung und Entwicklung textilbasierter Bio-Sensoren 59 3.1 Materialien 59 3.2 Methoden und Geräte 61 3.3 Technologisch-konstruktive Modifikation der Flechtmaschinentechnik zur optimierten Sensorherstellung 61 3.4 Entwicklung der Temperatursensoren 63 3.4.1 Konzeptionelle Auslegung 63 3.4.2 Konstruktive Entwicklung 66 3.4.3 Fertigungstechnische Umsetzung 69 3.5 Entwicklung der Feuchtesensoren 70 3.5.1 Konzeptionelle Auslegung 70 3.5.2 Konstruktive Entwicklung 73 3.5.3 Fertigungstechnische Umsetzung 74 3.6 Entwicklung der pH-Wertsensoren 76 3.6.1 Konzeptionelle Auslegung 76 3.6.2 Konstruktive Entwicklung 77 3.6.3 Fertigungstechnische Umsetzung 78 3.7 Entwicklung der Lactatsensoren 80 3.7.1 Konzeptionelle Auslegung 80 3.7.2 Konstruktive Entwicklung 81 3.7.3 Fertigungstechnische Umsetzung 82 3.8 Entwicklung der NET-Sensoren 89 3.8.1 Konzeptionelle Auslegung 89 3.8.2 Konstruktive Entwicklung 89 3.8.3 Fertigungstechnische Umsetzung 90 3.9 Zusammenfassende Betrachtung 90 4 Entwicklung von textilbasierten Sensorsystemen 92 4.1 Auslegung des Sensorsystems für die Anwendung im Wundverband 92 4.2 Textiltechnische Prozessoptimierung zur Applikation bzw. Integration der miniaturisierten Sensoren 94 4.2.1 TFP-Sticktechnik 94 4.2.2 Stricken 97 4.2.3 Weben 104 4.2.4 Wirken 108 4.3 Verknüpfung des Sensorsystems und Datenauswertung 111 4.3.1 Kontaktierung 111 4.3.2 Signalübertragung 113 4.3.3 Datenerfassung und -auswertung 114 4.4 Zusammenfassende Betrachtung 115 5 Experimentelle Charakterisierung 116 5.1 Temperatursensor 116 5.1.1 Messtechnische Empfindlichkeiten 116 5.1.2 Hystereseverhalten 118 5.1.3 Einschwingverhalten 118 5.1.4 Langzeitverhalten 119 5.2 Feuchtesensor 119 5.2.1 Messtechnische Empfindlichkeiten 120 5.2.2 Hystereseverhalten 121 5.2.3 Einschwingverhalten 122 5.2.4 Langzeitverhalten 123 5.2.5 Verhalten im wässrigen Milieu 123 5.3 pH-Wertsensor 124 5.3.1 Messtechnische Empfindlichkeiten 126 5.3.2 Hystereseverhalten 130 5.3.3 Einschwingverhalten 130 5.3.4 Langzeitverhalten 130 5.4 Lactatsensor 131 5.4.1 Theoretische Vorbetrachtung und Vorversuch 132 5.4.2 Messtechnische Empfindlichkeiten 134 5.4.3 Hystereseverhalten 135 5.4.4 Einschwingverhalten 136 5.4.5 Langzeitverhalten 136 5.5 NET-Sensor 137 5.6 Messtechnische Stabilität bei mechanischen Beanspruchungen 138 5.6.1 Querdruckbelastung 138 5.6.2 Zugbelastung 139 5.6.3 Biegebelastung 141 5.7 Untersuchung der Selektivität 142 5.8 Biokompatibilitätsuntersuchungen 143 5.9 Ergebnisdiskussion 145 6 Konzeptentwicklung zur allgemeingültigen Auslegung und Anwendung textilbasierter Bio-Sensorsysteme 147 6.1 Auslegungshinweise zur Herstellung der Sensoren 147 6.2 Kalibrierung, Justierung und Messwertabgleich 149 6.3 Auslegungshinweise zur textiltechnischen Integration der Sensoren und Sensornetzwerke 151 6.4 Verknüpfung und Vernetzung der Einzelsensoren 153 6.5 Multifunktionssensorik 154 6.6 Demonstratoren der Sensornetzwerke 155 7 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick 158 8 Literaturverzeichnis 162 Anhang 177 A - Herstellungsvarianten Feuchtesensor 177 B - Technikansicht gestrickte Tasche 178 C - Langzeitmessung Lactatsensor 179

D. Tech. (Department of Biotechnology and Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The synthesis of Ag and Cu nanoparticles was carried out using the thermal decomposition method in the presence of oleylamine as a capping agent. This method was used because it can produce uniform and monodisperse nanoparticles with controlled size distribution. The nanoparticles synthesized under various conditions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV/Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of precursor concentration on the morphology and size of the nanoparticles was investigated. It was observed that an increase in the precursor concentration resulted in an increase in particle sizes with different morphologies for both Ag and Cu nanoparticles. The increase in particle sizes for Ag nanoparticles was due to Ostwald ripening, while for Cu nanoparticles it was due to agglomeration, as Cu tends to oxidize in the atmosphere, leading to a change in particle size and shape. However, the ability to control and manipulate their physical and chemical properties depends on tuning their size and shape. Therefore, varying the precursor concentration helped in selecting the optimal concentration for this study. The nanoparticles produced were used in another study as fillers or additives for the production of nanofiber composites. The development of nanofibers by electrospinning process has led to potential applications in filtration, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, wound dressing and etc. The current study is an attempt to fabricate composite nanofibers that can be used as wound dressing material for effective wound healing. The approach involves the blending of two different polymers both being biocompatible and biodegradable were one is a natural polymer and the other is a synthetic polymer. In this study, different weight ratios of CS/PVA blends, Ag/Cu/CS/PVA, Ag/CS/PVA and Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers have been successfully prepared by the electrospinning process. The tip-to-collector distance was kept at 15 cm and the applied voltage was varied from 15 to 25 kV. The effects of the weight ratios applied voltage and the nanoparticles loading on the morphology and diameter of the fibers were investigated. The resultant fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The SEM results showed that an increase the amount of chitosan in the CS/PVA blend resulted in a decrease in the fiber diameters while an increase in the voltage from 15 to 25 kV led to a decrease in the fiber diameters. Furthermore, an increase in fiber diameters was observed with irregular morphologies upon addition of Ag/Cu nanoparticles into the blend. The latter changes are perceived to be as a result of an increased conductivity and a higher charge density. The XRD results showed peaks which correspond to Ag in the face centred cubic. Ag peaks are more dominant than Cu peaks in the XRD of the mixed nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra of the Ag/Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers gave almost identical features as the blend. This proves that there was an interaction between CS and PVA polymer due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The TGA curves showed no significant effect on the thermal stability of the composite fibers upon addition of different nanoparticles loadings. The absorption spectra of the composite fibers showed an improved optical properties compared to the blend. For Ag and Cu nanoparticles composite fibers it was observed that addition of Ag nanoparticles in the blend resulted in an increase in fiber diameters with uniform morphology whereas for Cu resulted in a decrease in fiber diameters. Both Ag and Cu composite fibers showed an improved optical properties. The effect of CS/PVA, Ag/Cu, Ag, and Cu nanofibers on the selected microorganism (K.pneumoniae, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E.coli) was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. It was observed that Ag/Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers showed greater activity against all microorganisms compared to Ag and Cu composite fibers. The alamar blue and Pierce Lactase dehydrogenase (LDH) assay were used to assess the effect of the blend and the composite fibers on cell viability and cytotoxicity, respectively. The results show that the prepared blend and the composite fibers did not have any toxic effect on human adipose derived stem cells (hADSC). The results also showed that as the concentration of Ag/Cu nanoparticles was increased the viability of the cells also increased after 24 hour incubation. More proliferation was observed in day 1 compared to day 3. The 30/70 blend showed more viable cell compared to the negative control. For Ag and Cu composite fibers the 30/70 CS/PVA blend increased cell proliferation after 3 days with 17% more viable cells compared to the negative control. These results show that the prepared blend with its composite fibers are biocompatible with human (ADSC) and may be suitable for use in biomedical application such as wound dressing.