With the aim of providing quality of life to millions of women around the world who suffer from breast cancer, industrial designers Leydy Ariza and Jazmín Andrea Paredes, from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), created an innovative device that protects and covers the skin lesions produced by radiotherapy treatment.

This project was possible thanks to the support and guidance of professors John Faber Archila Díaz, from the School of Industrial Design, who led the implementation and creation of the device, as well as Marianny Yajaira Combariza Montañez and Cristian Blanco Tirado, from the School of Chemistry of the UIS, who produce bacterial cellulose from residual cocoa biomass waste.

According to the World Health Organization, radiotherapy is part of an effective treatment to combat microscopic cancer that has spread from the breast tumor through the blood, particularly when the disease is detected early.

However, it has been proven that it generates different sequelae or side effects that can be uncomfortable and difficult for the patient to cope with, including redness, swelling and severe burns on the irradiated area of their body. In addition to the pain and discomfort caused by these burns, this condition also affects the mood and self-esteem of patients with a strong tendency towards depression and isolation.

These reasons led to the creation of MEI, the first device that covers a woman’s breast area and contains bacterial cellulose inside that, in addition to protecting, helps to moisturize the affected skin to facilitate its recovery. MEI was created to provide comfort and freshness to the patient and mainly to give her the possibility to wear any clothing without pain and to lead a normal lifestyle.

This project is the protagonist of the new chapter of the series Scientists ‘This does have science’, which is carried out in the Directorate of Communications of the UIS.

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