Wound care system and bacteridical methods and devices

Abstract

A variety of article and systems including wound care systems, methods for making the wound care systems, bactericidal, and methods for treating wounds using these systems are disclosed. The wound care systems may include a first material comprising one or more fibers or porous media. The one or more fibers or porous media may be coated with a second material that is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacteria to render the wound care system sterile, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both upon exposure to light. The first material may be cotton, or any suitable fibrous material, the second material may be TiO 2 , and the light may be UV or visible light. A variety of methods including ALD may be used to coat the first material.

1 . A wound care system comprising: a first material comprising one or more fibers, wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a second material, the second material capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light. 
     
     
         2 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the second material is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and increasing the absorbency of the first material upon exposure to light. 
     
     
         3 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises cotton, silk, or a polymer, or any other fibrous material suitable for a wound dressing. 
     
     
         4 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises a metal oxide that exhibits a photocatalytic effect. 
     
     
         5 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a film of the second material, the film having a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 30 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises cotton, silk, or a polymer, or any suitable fibrous material, and the second material comprises TiO 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the light is UV light. 
     
     
         9 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , further comprising a light source coupled to the first material. 
     
     
         10 . The wound care system of  claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises one or more LEDs. 
     
     
         11 . The wound care system of  claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises one or more UV-emitting LEDs. 
     
     
         12 . The wound care system of  claim 9 , further comprising a programmable switching circuit coupled to the light source. 
     
     
         13 . A wound care system comprising:
 a first material comprising one or more fibers,   a light source coupled to the first material; and   a programmable switching circuit coupled to the light source,   wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a second material, the second material capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light.   
     
     
         14 . A method for making a wound care system, the method comprising: coating one or more fibers of a first material comprising the one or more fibers with a second material, wherein the second material is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, increasing the absorbance of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the coating is accomplished using atomic layer deposition (ALD). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first material comprises cotton, silk, a polymer, carbon fibers, or any fibrous material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second material comprises a metal oxide. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising coupling a light source to the first material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising coupling a programmable switching circuit to the light source. 
     
     
         21 . A method for treating a wound, the method comprising: contacting a wound care system to a wound on a subject, the wound care system comprising a first material comprising one or more fibers, wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a second material, the second material capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the subject is a mammal. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wound care system further comprises a light source coupled to the first material and a programmable switching circuit coupled to the light source. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises turning the light source on and off at predetermined intervals. 
     
     
         26 . An article, comprising: a first material coated with a second material, wherein the second material is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacterial, rendering the coated material sterile, and increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light. 
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises a metal 
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2 . 
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises doped TiO 2 . 
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2  doped with at least one of nitrogen or sulphur. 
     
     
         31 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2  doped with a transition metal. 
     
     
         32 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the second material comprises TiO2 doped with at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of iron and cobalt. 
     
     
         33 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the first material comprises one or more fibers, and the second material coats the fibers. 
     
     
         34 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the first material comprises fabric comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         35 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the first material comprises paper comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         36 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a lab coat comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         37 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a water or air filter. 
     
     
         38 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a porous glass filter comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         39 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a wound care dressing comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         40 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a wound care dressing comprising the first and second materials, and the first material comprises fibers. 
     
     
         41 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a wound care dressing comprising the first and second materials, and the first material comprises cotton fibers. 
     
     
         42 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a wound care dressing comprising the first and second materials, and the first material comprises polymer fibers or any suitable fibrous material. 
     
     
         43 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a wound care dressing comprising the first and second materials, and the first material comprises cotton fibers. 
     
     
         44 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a surgical tool comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         45 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a catheter comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         46 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article comprises a water filter comprising the first and second materials. 
     
     
         47 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the light is visible light. 
     
     
         48 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the light is UV light. 
     
     
         49 . A method for sterilizing, comprising: providing an article comprising a first material coated with a second material, wherein the second material is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, increasing the absorbance of the first material, or both, upon exposure to light; and exposing the second material to light. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material is coated over the first material using atomic layer deposition. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first material comprises cotton, silk, or a polymer. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises a metal oxide. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2 . 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising coupling a light source to the first material. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises doped TiO 2 . 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises doped TiO 2 . 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2  doped with at least one of nitrogen and sulphur. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2  doped with a transition metal. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the second material comprises TiO 2  doped with at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of iron and cobalt. 
     
     
         60 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the light is visible light. 
     
     
         61 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a film of the second material, the film having a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 250 nm. 
     
     
         62 . The wound care system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fibers are coated with a film of the second material, the film having a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 100 nm. 
     
     
         63 . The wound care system of  claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises artificial light sources, fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), incandescent light bulbs, OLEDs, PLEDs, high pressure mercury lamps, halogen lamps, lamps emitting UV and/or visible light, and natural light from the sun. 
     
     
         64 . The method for treating a wound of  claim 21 , further comprising exposing the second material to light. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the coating is accomplished using atomic layer deposition (ALD), vapor deposition methods, chemical vapor deposition, solution coating, or sol gel coating. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the light source comprises artificial light sources, fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), incandescent light bulbs, OLEDs, PLEDs, high pressure mercury lamps, halogen lamps, lamps emitting UV and/or visible light, and natural light from the sun. 
     
     
         67 . A method of making the article of  claim 26 , comprising: coating the first material with the second material using ALD, vapor deposition methods, chemical vapor deposition, solution coating, or sol gel coating. 
     
     
         68 . A method of making the article of  claim 26 , comprising: coating the first material with the second material using ALD. 
     
     
         69 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of a paper, a lab coat, a water filter, an air filter, a porous glass filter, a wound care dressing, a surgical tool, and a catheter.