Stitching wounds with cobwebs?
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), spiders are inspired by spiders and more specifically their webs. The BBC news website reported on the work of scientists who designed a promising double-sided duct tape. It could replace, in some cases, the stitches.
It all starts with this observation: the secretions of the spiders that become their web absorb water to better catch the captured insect. The duct tape developed by these Massachusetts researchers works in the same way. It is even effective after only a few seconds in tests performed on pig skin and lungs.
The team says that with more research, it could be used instead of sutures. However, there is still a long way to go before this discovery can be tested on humans.
A device that absorbs water
The suture, the points that close an injury or a cut, can sometimes cause infections and pain. Living tissue glues, which already exist, can take several minutes to act and can flow to other parts of the body.
Scientists have therefore turned to nature: spiders secrete a material that contains polysaccarides, capable of absorbing water on the surface of insects almost immediately, leaving a dry location where the glue can hang.
The researchers sought to replicate this mechanism: they used polyacrylic acid on the tape to absorb water from the body's moist tissues, which then activated the glue to hold faster.
By adding gelatin, the tape will keep its shape for a few days or even a month depending on the length of time needed, the researchers say.
Tested on different fabrics
Tests were carried out on different types of rat or pig tissue, including the small intestine, stomach, liver and skin. "It's very complicated to suture thin or fragile tissues, such as the lungs or trachea. But with our double-sided duct tape, we can do it in five seconds," says one of the authors of the study, Hyunwoo Yuk.
It could also potentially be used to attach medical devices to organs, such as the heart, "without causing damage or secondary complications related to piercing problems." Researchers are now planning more animal testing.
It all starts with this observation: the secretions of the spiders that become their web absorb water to better catch the captured insect. The duct tape developed by these Massachusetts researchers works in the same way. It is even effective after only a few seconds in tests performed on pig skin and lungs.
The team says that with more research, it could be used instead of sutures. However, there is still a long way to go before this discovery can be tested on humans.
A device that absorbs water
The suture, the points that close an injury or a cut, can sometimes cause infections and pain. Living tissue glues, which already exist, can take several minutes to act and can flow to other parts of the body.
Scientists have therefore turned to nature: spiders secrete a material that contains polysaccarides, capable of absorbing water on the surface of insects almost immediately, leaving a dry location where the glue can hang.
The researchers sought to replicate this mechanism: they used polyacrylic acid on the tape to absorb water from the body's moist tissues, which then activated the glue to hold faster.
By adding gelatin, the tape will keep its shape for a few days or even a month depending on the length of time needed, the researchers say.
Tested on different fabrics
Tests were carried out on different types of rat or pig tissue, including the small intestine, stomach, liver and skin. "It's very complicated to suture thin or fragile tissues, such as the lungs or trachea. But with our double-sided duct tape, we can do it in five seconds," says one of the authors of the study, Hyunwoo Yuk.
It could also potentially be used to attach medical devices to organs, such as the heart, "without causing damage or secondary complications related to piercing problems." Researchers are now planning more animal testing.