As reported in medGadget, "Scientists from Japan’s Waseda University and the National Defense Medical College have created a new material to be used as a repair patch during surgical procedures."
The material, reported to be 1,000 times thinner than cellophane, was constructed from a substance derived from crab shells and a viscous gum from algae, can be used to patch wounds, including (as demonstrated in a dog in the Waseda research) sealing a hole in the lung, and withstanding the physical forces in preventing air leaks. The material resulted in complete healing in the lung and left no scars.
Many questions remain about innovative materials like this — What are the biocompatibility issues? Are their tissue-specific differences in efficacy?
Whether biological in nature, like the crab sell and algae-derived thin film, mussel-shell derived "bio-glue", gecko feet or similar naturally occurring substances, or chemical in nature, whether like existing cyanoacrylate-based adhesives or some combination between, it seems apparent that materials development is accelerating in ways that will rapidly improve the management of acute and chronic wounds. Simultaneously, these technologies (like fibrin and other surgical sealants before them) have the capacity to overturn traditional wound management markets.
In some respects, there is a sense of "it’s about time" in considering these technologies — surgery and the products used in them have not changed dramatically, aside from radical shifts like laparoscopy, for almost a hundred years.
Surgical sealants, glues, and other technologies in wound management are the subject of the MedMarket Diligence Report #S175, "Worldwide Surgical Sealants, Glues, and Wound Closure, 2009-2013."
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