Nano-Hybrid LED Smart Yarn for Thermoregulating and Therapeutic Applications

In the proposed technology, we are developing a Nano-Hybrid platform smart fiber yarn for multifunctional application. The fiber is functionalized with a specific nanoparticle, and the fiber yarn is coated with specific dye molecules. Through the coverup process, we create a composite yarn by further combining it with an LED embedded Fiber. We are establishing a mechanism called Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) which is a long-established approach to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) using photosensitizers (PS) and visible light. PDT is a local and selective treatment that has existed for many years to cure premalignant diseases, antimicrobial or cancers. This treatment requires the presence of three elements within the target area, a photosensitizer (PS), which is a photoactivable molecule that can react with oxygen when excited by photons and produces toxic species that will destroy the cancerous cells, pathogens; a light of a specific wavelength and intensity that activates the PS; and oxygen molecules, naturally present in the biological medium. This therapy finds many applications in diverse medical fields.
However, dermatology is one of the disciplines where PDT is the more used as first-line treatment since the targeted sites (skin) are easily reachable by light. Moreover, it has proven its efficacy in several main dermatological indications: like actinic keratoses, Basal cell carcinoma (BCC). These applications of PDT on skin gave us an insight to create a PDT based Nano-Hybrid textile yarn.
Here, by using a tiny LED extruded into a monofilament yarn, we are creating a synergy between the LED light and the nano hybrid system. We are shining light with the LED embedded fiber yarn that aligns closely to the nanoparticle functionalized dye coated yarn to stimulate thermoregulating and therapeutic functionalities. We can tune the emission and excitation of the additives we add during the process by controlling several aspects of the nanoparticles/additives – the size, shape, and phase. This multifunctional composite yarn has potential use for antimicrobial, wound healing and thermoregulating textile applications.