A Pharmacy practice perspective on the performance of a non-pharmacological device for wound protection in contaminatedwater exposure

Abstract

Background: Wound exposure to water significantly increases the risk of infection and delayed healing, particularly in seawater immersion wounds (SWIs) where microbial contamination exceeds 100 million organisms per liter. NU_Woundguard, a medical-grade silicone protective device, was designed to maintain a watertight seal over standard dressings and reduce contamination risk. Objective: To rigorously evaluate the efficacy and safety of NU_ Woundguard in preventing water ingress under control, reproducible laboratory conditions simulating freshwater and seawater immersion. Methods: A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted using anatomically accurate, 3D-printed foot models with clinically validated normal and SWI wound simulations. Models were randomly assigned to Control (standard dressing only) or Intervention (standard dressing plus NU_Woundguard) groups. Both groups underwent standardized immersion at 10, 30, and 60 minutes in freshwater and seawater (n = 5 per condition). The primary efficacy outcome was water penetration, quantified by analytical weighing of absorbent detection sheets pre- and post-immersion. Safety outcomes included structural integrity, tensile strength retention, and dressing compatibility following 10 immersion cycles and 30 mechanical stress cycles. All measurements were performed in duplicate by blinded assessors using calibrated instruments. Results: NU_Woundguard achieved zero leakage across all conditions (0/30 samples; 0.00 ± 0.00 g), while controls exhibited 100% leakage. At 60 minutes, mean penetration in controls was 1.85 ± 0.42 g (freshwater) and 2.14 ± 0.39 g (seawater). Tensile strength retention was 94.6% ± 2.1%, with no structural defects observed. Conclusion: Under validated, standardized conditions, NU_Woundguard demonstrated complete prevention of water penetration and maintained mechanical durability, supporting its clinical potential as a non-pharmacological wound protection strategy.