Band-aid for internal wounds

A burst appendix or a life-threatening intestinal volvulus are emergencies that need to be treated by surgeons immediately. However, a life-saving operation, in which tissue from the digestive tract has to be reattached, bears some risks. After all, everything that is transported through the gastrointestinal tract to the outside world in fact belongs there – and should under no circumstances end up inside the abdominal cavity. Highly acidic digestive juices and germ-laden food residues could trigger peritonitis or even a fatal sepsis. Needle and thread by themselves are not necessarily the perfect surgical tools for joining two pieces of intestine together, though – after all, you wouldn't think of sewing up a leaky food pouch either, would you? Empa researchers have thus developed a patch that stably seals two sutured pieces of intestine and thus prevents dangerous leaks.

In lab experiments, the researchers showed that the polymer system met their expectations. "Adhesion is up to ten times higher than with conventional adhesive materials," says Empa researcher Anthis. "Further analysis also showed that our hydrogel can withstand five times the maximum pressure load in the intestine." And in the material's design lies its tailored effect: The rubbery composite selectively reacts with digestive juices that might leak through intestinal wounds, expands and closes all the more tightly. The inexpensive, biocompatible super glue, which consists largely of water, could thus shorten hospital stays and save healthcare costs. Alexandre Anthis is thus already planning the next steps towards clinical application of the new wound plaster: "We are in the process of founding a start-up company to bring this innovative material to the market."