If you have had surgery, you know first hand how important it is to prevent the wound from becoming infected. There are special conductive sutures that detect changes in the state of the wound by means of electrical signals and transmit the information to a computer or smartphone. Incredible as they may seem, they are a first world solution that is too expensive for the places that need it most – developing countries. And surgical wounds in developing countries are about four times more likely to be infected than in the United States.
Beets and other fruits and vegetables such as blackberries, plums and blueberries are natural pH indicators. They have a compound called anthocyanin that gives them pigment and this legal property. Beets are perfect because they change color at a pH of nine – the same pH level as infected human skin, which is usually around five.
[Dasia] experimented with various types of suture to see which absorbed beet juice in the first place. She chose a cotton-polyester blend that is braided. While it probably helps to absorb beet juice, it would also give bacteria several places to hide. Another problem is that many surgeries involve muscle cuts as well, and when a deeper infection appeared in the sutures, it would be too late. But if these color-changing sutures can be made to be economical, safe for the skin and, of course, to keep the wounds together, this solution is much better than nothing and definitely worth producing. You can see [Dasia] talk about her project in the video below.
Want to know more about natural pH indicators? Certainly.