Recent Innovations in Artificial skin

The skin is a ”smart”, multifunctional organ that is protective, self-healing and sensing and many forms of artificial skins have been developed with properties and functionalities approximating that of natural skin. Starting from specific commercial products for the treatment of burns, progress in two fields of research has since allowed these remarkable materials to be viable skin replacements for a wide range of dermatological conditions. This review maps out the development of bioengineered skin replacements and synthetic skin substitutes, including electronic skins. The specific behaviors of skin are highlighted, and the performance of both fields of artificial skins are evaluated against this. Moving beyond mere replication, highly advanced artificial skin materials are also identified as potential augmented skins that can be used as flexible electronics for health-care monitoring and other applications.