12/14/2012
Porcupine quills to help patients heal
Porcupine quills have inspired a new adhesive patch that could greatly benefit patients who have undergone internal surgeries.
The microscopic barbs on the quills allow them to penetrate tissue easily while being extremely difficult to remove. The barbs localize the penetration forces, making it easier for them to tear through tissue, but act like anchors once they have inserted themselves. To create the adhesive it is possible to build a patch with an array of barbed quills on one side, which will require a much stronger force to remove than the barb-free control patch. Another advantage of the porcupine quill adhesive is that it will not require any reactive chemicals, reducing the changes of adverse side effects.
It is believed that the system could be adjusted to penetrate tissue easily without requiring so much force for removal, which could lead to pain-free injections.
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