Gecko-inspired tape-based adhesives

Abstract

The next generation of surgical adhesives that are intended for internal applications will present considerable functional and regulatory challenges compared with topical adhesives that are currently available. These new adhesives must strongly adhere to wet surfaces and remain in place until the wound is leak-proof, while not being easily monitored. As adjuncts to current technologies such as sutures, staples, and tissue glue, there is a growing interest to reduce the incidence of trauma associated with surgical incisions and suture lines. Novel approaches are under development that can facilitate wound closure without causing excessive inflammation, ischemia, or necrosis to the wound. Degradable tissue adhesive tapes have recently been suggested as a potential method for wound closure/healing. One strategy to implement this technology utilizes biomimicry to achieve high levels of adhesion by replicating the nanotopography of the gecko's footpad in biocompatible and biodegradable elastomers. Geckos can walk up vertical surfaces because the bottoms of their feet are covered with hierarchical fibrillar arrays which can maximize the interfacial adhesion to surfaces. Tissue adhesion of structures that mimic the gecko footpad can be further enhanced by applying a thin coating of a tissue-reactive biocompatible glue to the nanotopographically patterned surface. Using this two-component design, a tape-based adhesive can adapt to physiologic mechanical forces, while remaining strongly attached to the underlying tissue and eliciting minimal inflammatory response, eventually resorbing harmlessly without the damage caused by removal associated with other adhesives. These strongly adherent and minimally inflammatory biodegradable taped-based adhesives will provide a platform for many practical additions to the surgical armamentarium.