以蜘蛛網(wǎng)為靈感的膠帶，可以代替手術(shù)縫合線

工程師們發(fā)明了一種以蜘蛛網(wǎng)為靈感的膠帶，可以代替手術(shù)縫合線

Inspired by the sticky substance spiders use to catch their prey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers have designed a special double-sided tape that can rapidly seal tissues together, according to researchers.

研究人員稱，受蜘蛛用來捕捉獵物的粘性物質(zhì)的啟發(fā)，麻省理工學(xué)院的工程師們設(shè)計了一種特殊的雙面膠帶，可以快速將組織密封在一起。

The new discovery has only been tested on rat and pig tissue — including the small intestine, stomach, liver and skin — but scientists hope it will eventually replace sutures, which they say don’t always work and may cause infections.

這項新發(fā)現(xiàn)只在老鼠和豬的組織(包括小腸、胃、肝和皮膚)上進(jìn)行了測試，但科學(xué)家希望它最終能取代縫合線，因為縫合線并不總是有效，而且可能會導(dǎo)致感染。

They found that the new tape can bind tissues within just five seconds, according to MIT News.

據(jù)麻省理工學(xué)院的新聞報道，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)新的膠帶能在5秒內(nèi)將組織粘合起來。

“There are over 230 million major surgeries all around the world per year and many of them require sutures to close the wound, which can actually cause stress on the tissues and can cause infections, pain and scars. We are proposing a fundamentally different approach to sealing tissue,” Xuanhe Zhao, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and the senior author of the study, told MIT News.

機械工程副教授、該研究的資深作者趙宣和告訴麻省理工學(xué)院新聞：“全世界每年有超過2.3億例大型手術(shù)，其中許多需要縫合來縫合傷口，這實際上會對組織造成壓力，導(dǎo)致感染、疼痛和疤痕。我們提出了一種完全不同的方法來密封組織。”

Scientists noticed how forming a tight seal between tissues is very difficult because water on the surface can make the tissue slippery. They also found that tissue glues can take several minutes to work and sometimes drip on other body parts.

科學(xué)家注意到，在組織之間形成緊密的密封是非常困難的，因為表面的水會使組織變得光滑。他們還發(fā)現(xiàn)，組織膠需要幾分鐘才能發(fā)揮作用，有時還會滴到身體的其他部位。

Spiders secrete a sticky material containing charged polysaccharides that absorbs water from the surface of its prey almost instantaneously, according to the BBC.

據(jù)英國廣播公司報道，蜘蛛分泌一種含有帶電多糖的粘性物質(zhì)，這種物質(zhì)幾乎可以瞬間從獵物表面吸收水分。

What’s left is a small dry patch to which the glue can adhere.

剩下的是一小塊干地，膠水可以粘在上面。

Researchers mimicked this natural “glue” by using polyacrylic acid, which is the material used in diapers to absorb water, according to MIT News.

據(jù)麻省理工學(xué)院新聞報道，研究人員用聚丙烯酸來模擬這種天然“膠水”，聚丙烯酸是尿布用來吸水的材料。

They placed it on the tape to absorb water from the wet body tissues, which they say resulted in the glue sticking quickly.

他們把它放在膠帶上以吸收濕漉漉的身體組織中的水分，這樣膠水很快就會粘上。

By adding gelatin or chitosan, experts determined they can make the tape hold shape for a few days or a month, depending on their needs.

通過添加明膠或殼聚糖，專家們確定他們可以根據(jù)自己的需要使膠帶保持幾天或一個月的形狀。

Researchers tested this method on pig lungs and tracheas, two types of organs they say are challenging to repair when using sutures.

研究人員在豬的肺和氣管上測試了這種方法，而這兩種器官在使用縫合線時是很難修復(fù)的。

“It’s very challenging to suture soft or fragile tissues such as the lung and trachea, but with our double-sided tape, within five seconds we can easily seal them,” Yuk said, according to MIT News.

據(jù)麻省理工學(xué)院新聞報道，尤克說：“縫合軟組織或脆弱組織(如肺和氣管)非常困難，但用我們的雙面膠帶，在5秒鐘內(nèi)我們就可以輕松地將它們密封起來。”

Scientists say they plan to perform more tests on animals, although they admitted being several years away from trial testing in humans.

科學(xué)家們表示，他們計劃在動物身上進(jìn)行更多的試驗，盡管他們承認(rèn)，在人類身上進(jìn)行試驗還需要幾年時間。