Use Cases & Trials
UC HEALTH 1 - 3D Hydrogel Patches
Remote Areas Connectivity, Edge Router, Core Network Split Architecture, Chronic Wounds Documentation, 3D Scanning and Visualisation, Wound Detection and Segmentation, 3D bioprinter Interfacing
The objective of this use case is to validate and evaluate an innovative approach to provide a higher level of patient care for patients with chronic wounds in need of customized hydrogel patches. This use case employs a novel 5G/6G-enabled medical service for remote areas, which relies on nomadic micro-networks to provide a reliable and secure connectivity in the vicinity of the patient at the time and place of need.
Partners
Use Case Overall
A nursing professional visits multiple patients with chronic wounds during the day. At the location of each of the patients, the nurse parks the vehicle in front of the patient’s premises, takes the specific medical equipment to the patient’s premises and executes the wound treatment while using the network placed in the vehicle as a local radio network provider and as a relay to the hospital premises across multiple backhauls. With this system, the nursing professional can use wireless connectivity to perform different tasks, and the on-vehicle-placed Edge network has storage to answer specific privacy requirements. As the nurse moves between the multiple target locations, there is no need for a continuous network in space or time. Instead, a small local network is deployed when and where needed.
Scenarios
Digital Documenting
The nurse uses the Nurse Care App on the smartphone connected to the Edge network to assess the wound via a questionnaire and takes wound 2D pictures and 3D scans. The information is sent to the medical services headquarters, where further data processing.
OTT Multimedia Services
Using OTT apps, the nurse can contact the wound expert at the medical services headquarters and develop a treatment solution. This is when the 3D model of the patch is generated based on the wound expert’s requirements (e.g., material).
Patch printing
The printer is also connected to the Edge network via a hardware and software adapter (e.g., based on Raspberry Pie). The Nurse Care App notifies the nurse when the 3D model is available. The nurse can then request the printer to print the hydrogel patch.
The Beyond 5G Core Network
Regarding the secure connection of services and devices, the Open5GCore software toolkit, acting as mobile core network is employed.
Open5GCore is implemented as a large collection of micro-services, each with dedicated functionality, interfaced via a service-based API similar to IT micro-services, with the API aligned with the 3GPP technical specifications (3GPP TS23501).
With this, it achieves a very high level of flexibility regarding deployment size and options, including fundamental control plane functionality such as authentication, authorization, mobility, and session management.
Specifically for largely distributed use cases with increased privacy requirements, splitting functionality between the edge of the network and the central core is assumed.
Considering the split, the edge enables fast execution of local operations, the central part maintains the communication profile information of the device, while the rest can be placed either centrally or at the edge, depending on the latency requirements, the number of devices connected to the edge, and the qualities of the edge-central transport network.
Key Objectives
Ensure secure and reliable connectivity and data transmission.
Enable 3D chronic wound scans AI on the edge for automatic documentation.
Enable 3D Bio-printer interfacing and 5G interconnection.
Enable flexible backhaul switch to other Access Networks like satellite via an Edge Router.
Enable local secure communication between the devices that the nurse is using.
Validate Beyond 5G features in real environment through piloting.
Collect and analyse KVI related data from medical experts.
Measure technological metrics, medical accuracy.
Expected Innovations/Outcomes
Innovations
- Accurate wound scans and analysis with its characteristics (matching in diagnostics criteria and dimensions).
- High precision and real-time communication with doctors or outpatient wound clinics due to the use of 5G/6G towards an agreement on efficient and appropriate wound care.
- Flexible data path solution.
- Interconnection of a 3D bioprinter via Beyond 5G for connectivity and HL7 FHIR for interoperable data schema.
Outcomes
- Increase Core Network technology readiness and acceptance.
- Improved working condition and attractiveness of chronic wound caring.
- Contribution to public health and societal well-being.
- Implementation of an interoperable and secure wound care platform.
KPIs
- Time to establish the connectivity between the Edge and the central network over third party backhauls to be <= 5 seconds for all transport networks.
- End-to-end connectivity establishment to be <= 2 seconds.
- Have a stable connection for a maximum of 10 000 devices that can connect and exchange the end-to-end data.
- Capacity for upload of 3D scans and download of 3D patch model to be 300 MBs for 100 MHz of bandwidth.
- From the user point of view, both the delay of upload of the 3D scan and the delay for downloading the 3D patch model to be less than 2 seconds.
- Accuracy in analysing wound dimensions to be more than 90%.
KVIs
- Reduction in visits to the doctor and hospital stays.
- Ease the work of the wound care provider by 20% due to automatic measurement of the wound characteristics (surface, volume, depth).
- Enable the remote wound experts to reach a decision in caring the wound faster via evidences gathered: 2D and 3D scans, extracted wound bed and automatic measurement.
- Better quality of life for patients, family members and care givers – reduced travelling arrangements.
- Provide reliable and secure communication for healthcare services that are mobile and take place in remote areas.
- Increased 5G/6G technology attractiveness in nursing homes.
- Increased care taker career attractiveness via novel digital tools.
Use Case Alignment with UN SDGs
UC-HEALTH-1 leverages 5G/6G-enabled nomadic networks and 3D hydrogel printing to deliver advanced, personalized wound care in remote areas, directly supporting SDGs on universal health coverage, technological innovation, reduced inequalities, and global partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer.
Enhances access to essential health services in underserved regions, contributing to universal health coverage by deploying mobile healthcare units equipped with 3D wound assessment and printing capabilities (Target 3.8).
The integration of advanced technologies such as 3D hydrogel printing and real-time data transmission in healthcare exemplifies innovation and the upgrading of technological capabilities in the medical sector
(Target 9.5).
Bridges the healthcare gap for rural or remote populations by bringing hospital-grade wound assessment and treatment directly to the patient, reducing disparities in healthcare access
(Target 10.2).
Involves collaboration among healthcare providers, technology developers, and research institutions, and commits to open data sharing, fostering global knowledge exchange and innovation (Target 17.6).
Trials
- Trial with wound experts engagement and feedback in June 2025 Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, with wound model scanning and documenting.
- Trial - validation of the system with real patients wound scanning at the Charité Chronic Wound Ward.
- Pilot @ Nursing Home (Berlin, Johannesstift) (starting September 2025). Long term deployment and pilot with elderly.
