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How slugs are creating better medical adhesives

August 4, 2017 By Danielle Kirsh

slug adhesive
[Image from Jianya Li, Adam D. Celiz, David J. Mooney]
Slug mucus is the inspiration behind a new adhesive to close surgical wounds and reduce the use of surgical staples, according to new research out of Harvard.

Some of the current adhesives on the market can be toxic and stick together tissues weakly. Some can’t be used in wet environments altogether, which can pose a problem for closing tissues in the body. Harvard University engineering researcher Jianya Li and his team used the defensive mucus secreted by slugs to develop a surgical glue that addresses the challenges associated with previous adhesives.

Li and his team created a family of tough adhesives that replicate the tough but flexible matrix of the mucus. The mucus also contains positively charged polymers that stick to substances through a variety of physical mechanisms like covalent bonds.

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Filed Under: Research & Development, Surgical, Wound Care Tagged With: hemostat, medtech, surgical adhesive

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About Danielle Kirsh

Danielle Kirsh is an award-winning journalist and senior editor for Medical Design & Outsourcing, MassDevice, and Medical Tubing + Extrusion, and the founder of Women in Medtech and lead editor for Big 100. She received her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and mass communication from Norfolk State University and is pursuing her master's in global strategic communications at the University of Florida. You can connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or email her at dkirsh@wtwhmedia.com.

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