Listen to this article

Scientists have developed a rapidly applying sticky patch to restore gut leaks and body fluids. Duct tape is considered a rapid and reliable solution for cracks and body fluids used in various structural materials. The engineers at MIT have now discovered a surgical-type duct tape. It is a more powerful, stretchable, and biological-compatible gummy patch. The newly designed duct tape can be applied rapidly and smoothly to biological tissues and organs to prevent seal tears and wounds.

One side of the new gummy patch is sticky similar to duct tape and the other side is smoother. The sticking is aimed to seal nerve leakage in the abdominal portion. The researchers mentioned it as the biological ductwork in a body. The team of researchers executed various experiments to find the effectiveness of this gummy patch.

Reliability and Efficiency

They discovered the new sticky tape can rapidly repair large leakage and punctures in the stomach, digestive organs, and internal organs of many animal models. The gummy tape powerfully combines tissues within a few seconds and maintains them for up to one month. It is more flexible, expandable, and contracts with operational organs as it cures. The sticky patch progressively loses grip after the fully restored injury without provoking pain or sticking to other issues.

The team of researchers imagines the surgical gummy patch will be used in operating rooms. It can be used as a powerful and secure substitute for hand-sewn sutures to cover leaks and tears in the stomach and other biological tissues in the abdomen. A research scientist, Hyunwoo Yuk said he thinks this surgical gummy tape is an excellent innovation. Surgeons could use it, similar to using duct tape.

Single-sided & Double-sided Gummy Surgical Tape

Yuk and his colleagues published their experimental results in the journal Science Translation Medicine, on 2nd February 2022. The team designed the new surgical duct tape in 2019 as a double-sided gummy tape. The early invention features a gummy single layer on both sides and aims to repair two surfaces together. The gum was made from an absorbent material polyacrylic acid, often found in diapers. It rapidly begins drying and absorbing moisture while contacting a wet tissue or surface.

The team of researchers discovered the single layer double-sided gummy tape powerfully combined different tissues together. They observed after consulting with surgeons that a single-layer one-sided gummy tape could reflect a more practical impact. Surgeons traditionally repair leaks and tears in the abdominal area with surgical sutures. However, sewing the stitches needs training for accuracy, and following surgery, the sutures can prompt scraping and damage around the injury.

Implementation of Gummy Tape

It is noteworthy that the tissue between stitches could also tear and cause secondary leakages that could lead to sepsis. The researchers initially redesigned their gummy tape after replacing chitosan and gelatin and used a durable hydrogel, polyvinyl alcohol. This change made the gum physically more stable for at least a month, which is considered a sufficient time for a typical gut injury to recover.

They also used a second non-sticky tape to keep the patch separate from surrounding tissues. This non-sticky tape was made from biodegradable polyurethane. The patch did stick to tissues in the initial experiments but also swelled similar to a fully wet hydrogel-based diaper. However, this swelling also extended the tape as designed to seal the underlying leaks.