MIT engineers developed a barnacle-inspired glue that can adhere to blood-covered surfaces and could stop bleeding
Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States, and scientists from the Mayo Clinic developed a glue what is capable of seal tissues and they could stop bleeding in a short period of time.
For their creation they were inspired by a sticky substance that the barnacles (small crustacean) used to adhere to rocks.
According to its creators this glue can adhere to surfaces, even if they are covered with blood.
“The sticky protein molecules that help barnacles adhere to surfaces. They are suspended in an oil that repels water and any contaminants found on the surface. Which allows the adhesive proteins to stick firmly to the surface ”
In this almost the glue It is made up of a “polymer called polyacrylic acid to which an organic compound called the NHS ester has been incorporated, which provides adherence, and chitosan, a sugar that reinforces it.”
Engineers noted that in 15 seconds it can create an airtight seal so it would be very useful when treating traumatic injuriesIt may even help control bleeding during surgeries.
“We are solving an adhesion problem in a difficult, humid and dynamic environment such as that of human tissues. At the same time, we are trying to translate this knowledge into real products that can save lives, ”explained Xuanhe Zhao of MIT.
According to their creators, they can solve a great medical problem, since sutures are regularly used to seal wounds. But they can take a long time which is often difficult when it is an emergency.
The glue It can be molded so it can adapt to irregular wounds. In tests with pigs it was able to stop the bleeding.
Recent data indicate that blood loss is the second leading cause of death after injury.
