Porcupine Quills Could Help Patients Heal

Dec-12-12 Porcupine quills have inspired a new adhesive patch that could greatly benefit patients who have undergone internal surgeries.

The team at MIT was inspired by the microscopic barbs on the quills, which allow them to penetrate tissue easily while being extremely difficult to remove. They found that the barbs localize the penetration forces, making it easier for them to tear through tissue, but act like anchors once they have inserted themselves. To create the adhesive, the team built a patch with an array of barbed quills on one side, which required a much stronger force to remove than the barb-free control patch. Another advantage of the porcupine quill adhesive is that it does not require any reactive chemicals, reducing the changes of adverse side effects.

The team believes they can also adjust the system to penetrate tissue easily without requiring so much force for removal, which could lead to pain-free injections.

Image: A fluorescent microscope image of the tiny barbs that coat the tip of a porcupine's quills

More Info about this Invention:

[INHABITAT.COM]
[MIT]

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