Funding from the White Rose Health Innovation Partnership (WRHIP) has helped set up a research collaboration aiming to find a way of applying ozone to wounds, thus allowing for faster healing.

It is widely accepted that mixtures of ozone and oxygen blown onto external cuts and wounds help them to heal much faster than normal. This mixture of gases not only kills viruses and bacteria but also enhances tissue repair and regeneration.  At the moment the only method of delivering the ozone to the affected area is by wrapping a bag around the damaged tissue and filling the bag with the gas. This method is difficult and time consuming, requiring highly specialised personnel to apply. Occasionally gas leaks can occur, which also makes the method unsafe to use given that the permissible exposure limit for ozone is extremely low (0.1ppm).

This project brings together academics, product designers and those who work at the frontline of healthcare services in an attempt to develop a more efficient and effective method of delivering the ozone. Dr Chedly Tizaoui from the University of Bradford has been working with Professor Peter Vowden from Bradford NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Patrick Trotter from InnProMa. Initial promising results have been obtained and an ozone delivery system has been developed. The next stage of the project will involve cell toxicity and bacterial kill tests.