Study: Researchers Develop Glove That Can Produce CBD-Infused Microfibers for Wound Treatment

By Anthony Martinelli in News, Studies Watch Today's LIVE Episode on X, and Rumble

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August 15, 2025

A team of researchers from Florida International University, Clemson University, and Virginia Commonwealth University has developed a glove capable of producing cannabidiol (CBD)-infused microfibers for potential wound care applications.

The ultralow-power electrospinning glove operates with just a 1-volt DC input, a dramatic reduction from the tens of kilovolts typically required by traditional electrospinning systems, according to a study published by ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.The glove features a needleless, ring-shaped spinneret with specialized geometry that allows for smooth fluid transitions and efficient acceleration of the polymer solution. A compact high-voltage amplifier circuit boosts the voltage to as much as 50 kV, while an integrated, air-driven pump ensures consistent fiber production.

In testing, the device produced CBD-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone fibers with diameters between 1.1 and 1.5 micrometers and a CBD loading efficiency of 87% to 91%, matching the performance of standard benchtop systems. The fibers demonstrated rapid CBD release, penetrating an agarose skin model within two hours and delivering the compound into wounded porcine skin in just 1.5 hours.

Researchers say the technology could allow for on-demand creation of drug-loaded nanofiber patches in hospitals, athletic settings, or military operations.

The full abstract of the study can be found below:

In this study, we introduce a wearable, ultralow-power electrospinning glove that fabricates a cannabidiol (CBD)-infused microfiber. Unlike traditional electrospinning systems that require bulky equipment and input voltages on the order of tens of kilovolts, our lightweight, battery-operated device functions with a low input voltage of just 1 V DC. Central to the device is a needleless, ring-shaped spinneret incorporating convergent-divergent geometry within the distributed liquid nozzles, facilitating smooth fluid transitions and efficient acceleration of the polymer solution. The low-voltage input is transformed into a high-voltage output (up to 50 kV) using a compact high-voltage amplifier circuit composed of a diode-capacitor ladder network. The needleless system mounted within an insulating glove ensures consistent and high-throughput fiber formation using a precisely controlled air-driven solution pump, making it user-friendly and scalable. To evaluate the performance of the device, we fabricate CBD-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) fibers using both the wearable device and a standard benchtop electrospinning setup. Comparative analyses are performed on jet dynamics, fiber morphology, chemical composition, and drug encapsulation efficiency. The PVP/CBD80 formulation, containing 80% CBD, achieves a jet branching velocity of ∼92.1 ± 4.1 m/s, fiber diameters ranging from ∼1.1 to 1.5 μm, and a CBD loading efficiency between 87 and 91%, all comparable to results from benchtop systems. Furthermore, in vitro and ex vivo experiments using agarose-based skin models and excised porcine skin demonstrated that CBD encapsulated within the PVP/CBD80 fibers could penetrate the agarose model within 2 h and achieve rapid release into square and V-shaped wounded porcine skin models within 1.5 h. Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of a portable, wearable electrospinning platform capable of producing drug-loaded nanofiber patches, holding significant promise for point-of-care wound treatment in diverse settings, including hospitals, athletic environments, and military field operations.