TAGS: Sealants
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore researchers have developed an electrically-activated glue patch – nicknamed ‘Voltaglue’ – to seal broken blood vessels. The adhesive patch applied via a minimally invasive balloon catheter. It offers a quick and less invasive way to seal tears and holes in blood vessels.
The adhesive could replace the need for open or keyhole surgery to patch up or stitch together internal blood vessel defects.
After inserting the catheter into an appropriate blood vessel, the glue can be guided through the body to where the tear is located and then activated using retractable electrodes to glue it shut in a few minutes, all without making a single surgical cut.
Adhesive Ideal for Wet Conditions
Voltaglue is a new type of adhesive that works in wet environments and hardens when a voltage is applied to it. A catheter device is used in application of Voltaglue in a medical setting, invented by NTU Associate Professor Terry Steele in 2015.
The team showed in lab experiments on a pig’s heart that the Voltaglue patch can be safely and effectively administered in a variety of situations, including withstanding the high-pulsatile pressure of blood in arteries like the aorta.
The flexible catheter is first inserted and guided through the blood vessel. Once at the site of the break, the balloon is expanded so that the injury is covered by the Voltaglue patch.
The patch starts to set after 20 seconds and fully hardens between 3 to 5 minutes. Upon hardening, the patch effectively ‘glues’ the broken vessel together, thereby sealing the two broken ends shut.
The commercial potential highlights NTU’s aims to translate research into products and outcomes that enhance the quality of life.
Source: Nanyang Technological University