Credits: Image: Christine Daniloff, MIT
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In recent years, scientists have developed many strains of engineered bacteria that can be used as sensors to detect environmental contaminants such as heavy metals. If deployed in the natural environment, these sensors could help scientists track how pollutant levels change over time, over a wide geographic area.
MIT engineers have now devised a way to make this kind of deployment safer, by encasing bacterial sensors in a tough hydrogel shell that prevents them from escaping into the environment and potentially spreading modified genes to other organisms.
“Right now there are a lot of whole-cell biosensors being developed, but applying them in the real world is a challenge because we don’t want any genetically modified organisms to be able to exchange genetic material with wild-type microbes,” says MIT graduate student Tzu-Chieh Tang, one of the lead authors of the new stu
Credits: Photo: John Freidah Caption: The SanaHeal bioadhesive is a double-sided tape that could potentially replace sutures, preventing the leakage of blood and reducing the risk of infection, pain, and scarring. Credits: Felice Frankel, Christine Daniloff, MIT Caption: Throughout his graduate studies, Yuk worked with Professor Zhao on a number of applications for interfacing soft materials with the human body. Here, electrically conductive ink based on silver microparticles is being 3D printed on an elastomer sheet with cuts or kirigami to prepare an electronic circuit for the smart stretchable bandage that Yuk and Zhao developed. Credits: Photo: John Freidah Caption:
MIT engineers design origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive tissue sealing
Many surgeries today are performed via minimally invasive procedures, in which a small incision is made and miniature cameras and surgical tools are threaded through the body to remove tumors and repair damaged tissues and organs. The process results in less pain and shorter recovery times compared to open surgery.
While many procedures can be performed in this way, surgeons can face challenges at an important step in the process: the sealing of internal wounds and tears.
Taking inspiration from origami, MIT engineers have now designed a medical patch that can be folded around minimally invasive surgical tools and delivered through airways, intestines, and other narrow spaces, to patch up internal injuries. The patch resembles a foldable, paper-like film when dry. Once it makes contact with wet tissues or organs, it transforms into a stretchy gel, similar to a contact lens, and can stick to a
MIT engineers have designed an origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive sealing of internal injuries, which could also be used in robotic surgery for remote repair of damaged tissues and organs.