慢性傷口係指伴隨著慢性疾病出現的無法按照預期時間癒合之傷口疾病，其癒合時間通常長達四週以上，例如糖尿病足潰瘍、壓瘡等。根據美國國家衛生研究院的報告，每年用於治療慢性傷口的花費要將近10億美金。目前常見針對慢性傷口的物理性治療包括光療（Light emission）、力學刺激、溫度治療。在研究文獻中已有不少團隊證實電刺激對於傷口照護有正面的效果，而市面上卻鮮有利用電刺激治療效果的照護設備，所以衍生出結合電刺激與紅外線的慢性傷口照護儀。
此研究中實驗組分別為對照組（僅使用3M透氣敷料）、電刺激組、紅外線刺激組、電刺激結合紅外線組。在材料特性的試驗中，我們證明了所使用的布料不僅具有生物相容性同時也具有釋放遠紅外線（2-22μm）的能力；在細胞實驗方面，我們證實了我們所使用的電刺激條件（ABW 50）具有促進細胞遷徙的能力，在將紅外線與電刺激相結合後也一樣具有促進的效果。在動物實驗中，我們將大鼠分為兩組不同的傷口模型（急性傷口16隻，各條件4隻；慢性傷口4隻，各條件2隻）：大鼠切割傷口模型（急性傷口）與糖尿病鼠傷口模型（慢性傷口）。慢性傷口模型是透過連續餵食3週的60%高脂飼料（High Fat Diets, HFD）並於兩周內每週分別注射35 mg/kg低劑量的鏈脲佐菌素(Streptozotocin, STZ)誘導而成。在實驗期間每天更換敷料並清潔傷口，每兩天對傷口進行拍照以記錄癒合狀況，於第九天時將大鼠犧牲並取下傷口組織進行後續的病理切片分析。為了觀察組織結構以及傷口再上皮化的情形，蘇木精-伊紅染色（Hematoxylin and Eosin stain, H&E stain）將投入於該研究中使用。實驗結果發現，紅外線結合電刺激的治療模式應用於急性傷口模型上具有非常好的治療效果，其上皮化的程度與對照組相比有顯著性差異；而在慢性傷口模型上，紅外線結合電刺激的組別對於傷口的癒合雖然並沒有出現統計上的差異，但是仍然具有加速癒合的趨勢。我們認為紅外線結合電刺激的照護方式在未來是一個值得繼續研究與探討的方向。

Chronic wounds are prevalent in certain group of patients and cause billions dollars annually to treat them. This study developed a synergic electrical stimulation and far infrared (FIR) device for chronic wound healing. The electrical stimulation condition was selected by in vitro test and the cloth produced FIR was selected by emissivity. So far, although some literature showed that electrical stimulation and infrared rays respectively could promote wound healing, there was almost no research that combined these two, and there is no electrical stimulation device for chronic wound treatment in the market This study developed a special device that combined both electrical stimulation and FIR for promoting chronic wound healing. In in vitro study, cells without any treatment were as the control group, the experiment groups were treated with electrical stimulation, FIR, and electrical stimulation combined with IR. In in vitro test results, the IR cloth have good cell compatibility and the condition of electrical stimulation we used showed could promote NIH-3T3 cells migration. In in vivo test, an acute wound group (normal rat wound), and a chronic wound group (diabetic rat wound) were used. Three 1-cm full thickness wounds will cut on the back of each rat and each wound were covered 3M Tegaderm. According to different treatments, the rats in each wound model were divided into four groups, each group had four rats. The wound size was measured every two days, and H&E staining was used to observe the growth of epithelial tissue. The results show that combining FIR and electric stimulation could accelerate wound healing in both acute and chronic wounds. It is believed such synergic electrical stimulation treatment combined with IR can be used in clinic in the future to treat chronic and severe wounds in an effective way.

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