Experts from the research institute Empa and ETH Zurich developed a laser soldering technique to heal wounds quickly and safely. The laser enables healthcare professionals to target wound parts accurately, and its unique bonding paste works as a bunch of “nano thermometers.” Multiple surgeons from Cleveland Clinic and other institutions evaluated its performance.
Doctors have been using cauterization by burning wounds to close them. However, they only use the method in specific situations because it may cause infection, nerve damage, and other unintended consequences. Fortunately, this new wound-sealing method could become a new tool in operating rooms without additional laser protection measures.
This article will elaborate on this wound-sealing method called iSolder. Later, I will share another medical breakthrough for critical illnesses.
How does this wound-sealing method work?
The researchers call their new technique iSolder or intelligent solder. The Collins Dictionary defines “solder” as “an alloy for joining two metal surfaces by melting the alloy so that it forms a thin layer between the surfaces.”
It usually involves a soldering iron that heats a metal mixture to join parts. On the other hand, this wound-sealing method uses a laser and a protein-gelatin paste.
A doctor applies the paste on an injured part and then shines a laser to irradiate it. In response, the paste’s titanium nitride nanoparticles convert the light into heat.
Its bismuth vanadate particles serve as tiny fluorescent nano thermometers. They change colors depending on the temperature, enabling a doctor to adjust the laser’s heat in real-time.
The Empa Research Institute said the method suits minimally invasive surgeries because “it does not require stirring and determines temperature differences with extremely fine spatial resolution in superficial and deep wounds.”
The team optimized the conditions for “iSoldering” with mathematical modeling in silico and then investigated its performance with surgeons from the following institutions:
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- Cleveland Clinic USA
- Czech Charles University
- University Hospital Zurich
The experts succeeded in fast, stable, and biocompatible bonding of wounds on organs, such as the pancreas, liver, urethra, intestine, fallopian tube, and others. Also, they replaced the laser light with a gentler infrared (IR) light.
As a result, the researchers are a step closer to using it in hospitals. “If medically approved IR lamps were applied, the innovative soldering technology could be used in conventional operating rooms without additional laser protection measures,” says Empa researcher Inge Herrmann.
Another medical breakthrough
Michigan State University Associate Professor Bryan Smith says nanoparticles could be the key to beating heart disease and cancer. They can enter specific immune cells, traverse the bloodstream, and enter tumors like Trojan horses.
Nanotubes are minuscule particles made of carbon over 10,000 times thinner than human hair. Researchers can load anything into them, such as drugs and imaging contrast agents.
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Smith and his research team have been studying whether nanotube-loaded immune cells can deliver treatments to heart disease plaques. They could load nanotubes with a therapy that causes immune cells to “eat” plaque debris and reduce size.
Also, specifically delivering drugs to those immune cells reduces the risk of unintended effects. Nanotubes can also improve cardiovascular disease diagnosis by highlighting plaques. These nanoparticles can also enter tumors by squeezing through openings in new blood vessels grown in inflammatory conditions.
This process is called the enhanced permeation and retention effect, where larger molecules and nanoparticles build up in tissues with leaky blood vessels and remain there. Researchers take advantage of this phenomenon to improve drug delivery for cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion
ETH Zurich and Empa researchers created a wound-sealing method using lasers and a nanoparticle paste. Experts apply the paste on a wound and harden it with the light.
It seals cuts, facilitating recovery and preventing infection. The researchers filed for a patent application for their new nanoparticle composite material.
Learn more about this wound-sealing technology at the Wiley Online Library. Also, check out the latest digital tips and trends at Inquirer Tech.