Danielle Elish B. Goco Aug.

15, 2011
Nitrogen III Ms. Co

CHEMISTRY

Sticky Band-Aid ala Gecko

The ultra-sticky feet that allow gecko lizards to climb walls and hang from ceilings have inspired scientists to create waterproof adhesive bandages that may offer a new way to patch up patients during surgery. Researchers (Jeff Carp and Robert Langer) at the Harvard MIT Divisions of Health Sciences and Technology said in a study that the bandages feature the same kind of nanopillars and sticky surfaces that allow the gecko to cling wherever they want. Unlike the geckos, however, the bandages are meant to stay in place. Plus, the glue that coats the underlying structure is designed to stick to living tissue. Its kind of helpful if you think of it as an internal band-aid. They made a thin layer of biorubber with machined patterned microchips and gave it a rubber texture of the geckos foot. Trials have been conducted on pig intestines and rats given hernia surgery, theyve been favorable enough that the researchers envision human applications in as little as two to five years. A surgical adhesive tape made from the material could replace sutures and staples. It could help prevent abdominal adhesions or fix internal leaks that occur during bariatric surgery, for instance. If these sticky band-aid would someday be used in surgeries, then it would be easier and would not need too much sutures on operations. This new discovery may therefore lead to a new way of internal bandaging in the future.

How are geckos able to cling? Geckos have millions of microscopic bristles on their five toes arranged in a complex pattern of ridges. Each of the bristles has hundreds of thousands of tiny hook-like projections. These measure 10 millionths of an inch across. The bristles are so small and numerous that they are strong enough to take the creatures weight.

Technique applied
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An adhesive bandage made from bio-rubber has the same kind of ridges that help give geckos their adhesive ability.

It is layered with a thin coating of glue that helps the bandage stick to wet surfaces. The bandage can be used during keyhole surgery where normal stitches would be difficult to use.