Researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) may have found a solution to a slippery problem. They’ve developed a double-sided adhesive tape to use in surgical situations. The difference between this tape and previous versions is that this one stays put when it gets wet. Others slip and slide off before the wound heals. What makes this one work so well? The researchers studied one of God’s super-sticky designs in nature: spider silk.
Spider webs can trap insects in almost any kind of weather—including when it’s damp or outright wet out. That’s just one of the characteristics that makes spider silk fascinating to scientists. (See “Secrets of Spider Silk” for more.) It’s also known for its incredible strength and versatility.
The MIT team studied the way that spider webs wick away moisture from prey even as it crawls across the strands. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the scientists discovered that spider webs use charged polysaccharides to do this. Polysaccharides are molecules of carbohydrates, often with enzymes attached to them. This fascinating creation from the arachnid can draw liquid away from its surface just before the sticky part binds to the subject it traps.
Back at the lab, the MIT team worked to produce their own synthetic polysaccharides. They mimic the natural ones made by spiders. They used some known technology too—such as the material used inside baby diapers to absorb lots of liquid. Another chemical forms the sticky bond to hold the new bandage to the patient’s wound after the moisture is quickly removed.
Study author Xuanhe Zhao is a mechanical engineer at MIT. He says the tape is favorable to typical sutures (also known as “stitches” or “staples”) used to close wounds. Those methods put pressure on delicate tissues and can exacerbate pain in healing. They also create a series of additional wounds that can invite infection and leave more scarring.
The team has experimented with success using the tape in pigs. It has worked to repair skin and internal organ incisions. It has not yet been tried on humans.
(MIT engineers have devised a double-sided adhesive that can seal tissues together. Felice Frankel, Christine Daniloff, MIT)
Ok.... I guess this is good.
Ok....
I guess this is good.
COOOL!
That's pretty interesting, and I'm glad they're using spider web silk to help with wounds.
I think that this is a great
I think that this is a great discovery; however, I don't think I would want to be the first one to try it.
Great! Have any of you had
Great! Have any of you had stitches or staples? One of my friends had 4 staples in her head once.
No I haven't had any staples
No I haven't had any staples or stitches. I have never broken any of my bones either. Have any of you?
good..
I think...yes..that's..good....?
I have sprained my ankle before. (over a soccer ball). Do any of you know hot to write in Italects?
Reminds me
Reminds me of this https://teen.wng.org/node/5672
@Nadia A
no.......................................................................................
how do you do the little smiley faces (not these:-))
@ Glorianna
ok. for a regular computer keyboard. You hold down the Alt button by the space bar and press 1 then let go of the Alt and it should be a ☺ press 2 for a ☻ 3 for a ♥ 5=♣ 6=♠ 7=• 8=◘ 9=○ I hope that helped.
That's cool! I haven't ever
That's cool! I haven't ever gotten stitches or staples. I crashed a dirt bike into the woods and banged up my leg pretty bad on a tree but it didn't need stitches! Oh oops I didn't know the editors said not to comment on that article!! LOL
@Nadia
That's so weird it doesn't work on my PC!
To Above
oh! ☺☻♥♦♣♠•◘○ lol
@Nadia
Wow! Lol!
I have had to get stiches
I have had to get stiches twice. Once for my head, I was running in high heels and I slipped and hit my head on my dresser. And once for my finger, my little brother blended it in our blender. Oh and also one time my uncle fell on me and broke wrist. Also I have done a few other things but I didn't need stiches. My dad just used super glue.
As for the article, I think this will help and that it's a good idea.
@Emelia G
Wow! Did it hurt a lot when he blended it in the blender?
Beth G
Okay so it was one of the hand blenders that you hold in your hand and push the button on the side.I was making banana bread and he was helping me, whenI looked down at the recipe I set my hand down near the blender andhe just slid it overmy finger and clisked the button. It actually didn't hurt very much because it messed up my nevers (I still don't have full feeling in that hand.) I didn't even feel it at all until I looked down at it and then I just started screaming. My mom ran in and looked at it and then took me to my dads station to ask him if he thought I needed stitches. He tooked the towel that I was using to stop the blood off and imeaditally goes, 'Yeah take her to the emergency room right now.' So my mom did and I got I think like 5 or 6 stiches.
Also all the nurses in the
Also all the nurses in the hospital kept making jokes and saying "If you were making banana bread why didn't you bring us any." It was annoying me so much. Lol, I was like you seriously want banana bread with blood in it?
@EMELIA
Wow!! Yikes! How long ago did it happen?
Beth G
I think two years? Maybe three?
Beth H
Sorry! The above comment was to Beth H
@Emelia G
Yikes!
@ Emilia!
yikes!! that's making me cringe!!! I only sprained my ankle
@Everyone
Do most of you guys live in the country or woods or something?
@EMELIA
I live in the woods about six miles out of town and kinda up a mountain! Lol
@Emelia
Oh and also, that’s incredible that you still can’t feel the nerves. The nerves in my leg are a little messed up too. (From when I crashed a dirt bike) I’ll prob have a scar for a long time.
@ Emilia G
No. : (I live in the city. The 2nd biggest city in Indiana!! I would LOVE to live out in the country or in the woods. but nope. Our back yard backs up to a major roadway!! So it's soooo loud!!
Janna
That's pretty cool they made this tape out of spider web stuff.....................it's a little gross to though. I wonder if it will work the same way on humans as it works on pigs?
@Emelia G
I don't.
@ Emelia
I live in a town. It's kind of in the country side. We have nothing behind out back garden except trees and trees, and more trees! We live in area ( ok it's called Lowerhouses and it's in Huddersfield, England, you'll be able to find it on google maps, then you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about) that is surrounded by trees. I don't live near any mountain but Huddersfield is very hilly. BTW i basically live on the top of a hill! My street is a hill! To walk down the street you have to either go uphill or downhill. But at least you get more excersice! :-P
@Mirela J
I looked it up and I see what you're talking about. It is usually not a good idea to tell anyone online where you live.
@Mirela
Yeah just to be safe!