PERSEUS – Patient-specific Engineering of smart Responsive wound dreSsings for Enhanced diabetic foot Ulcer management through AI- and XR-technologieS
2025 – ongoing
Bandi Interni PoliTo, Collaborative Research Projects
PERSEUS is an interdisciplinary research project aimed at transforming the management of chronic skin wounds, with a particular focus on diabetic foot ulcers. Chronic wounds represent a growing clinical and socio-economic burden worldwide, often requiring long-term treatments that are costly, invasive, and not fully effective. One of the major limitations of current therapeutic approaches lies in their standardized nature, which does not account for the specific biological and morphological characteristics of each patient’s wound. PERSEUS addresses this challenge by proposing a fully personalized wound care platform that integrates advanced biomaterials, artificial intelligence, digital modeling, and extended reality technologies.
At the core of the project is the development of an innovative glucose-responsive hydrogel designed to act both as a smart drug delivery system and as a printable biomaterial ink. This multi-stimuli-responsive formulation is engineered to release therapeutic agents in a controlled manner in response to wound-related pathological conditions, such as elevated glucose levels. By tuning drug release kinetics according to the clinical needs of the patient, the system enables a level of therapeutic precision that goes beyond conventional medicated dressings.
Personalization in PERSEUS is achieved not only at the biochemical level but also at the morphological level. Advanced 3D acquisition technologies are used to capture high-resolution geometric data of the ulcerated area. These data are processed to generate accurate digital reconstructions of the wound site, which serve as the basis for the computer-aided design of custom-fit patches. Through this workflow, each dressing is digitally modeled to perfectly conform to the unique topography of the patient’s wound, ensuring optimal contact, improved therapeutic efficacy, and enhanced comfort.
Within this framework, 3D LAB plays a central role in the development of the digital and immersive components of the project. The research group is responsible for the acquisition and processing of patient-specific 3D data, the generation of precise geometric models, and the design of customized therapeutic patches through advanced CAD methodologies. In addition, 3D LAB leads the development of an immersive Virtual Reality training environment aimed at supporting healthcare professionals in the correct application of personalized wound dressings. The VR platform recreates realistic clinical scenarios in which users can simulate wound assessment and patch positioning procedures, enhancing procedural standardization and skill acquisition while reducing reliance on animal-based experimentation.
By integrating smart biomaterials, predictive AI models, patient-specific digital twins, additive manufacturing, and immersive training systems, PERSEUS introduces a new paradigm in precision wound care. The project aims to improve healing outcomes, reduce complications and healthcare costs, and advance the integration of digital technologies within clinical practice. Positioned at the intersection of biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and extended reality, PERSEUS contributes to shaping a future in which wound management becomes more efficient, sustainable, and truly personalized.
