• New superglue fixes holes in the heart
    21 replies, posted
[QUOTE]The liquid glue, along with possessing those same characteristics, is also biocompatible, biodegradable, and has an elastic consistency once set. This combination of qualities means that it will remain adhered to the heart despite being immersed in liquid blood, it won't be rejected, it won't get pulled loose or ripped by the contractions of the heart muscle, and it will harmlessly biodegrade once the hole has healed over[/QUOTE] [URL]http://www.gizmag.com/heart-hole-glue-hlaa/30414/[/URL]
The love of my life left a big hole on my heart, can this glue fix it as well?
Uh, wasn't superglue originally made for use in combat, to close wounds?
[QUOTE=Maximo13;43498218]Uh, wasn't superglue originally made for use in combat, to close wounds?[/QUOTE] No.
[QUOTE=Maximo13;43498218]Uh, wasn't superglue originally made for use in combat, to close wounds?[/QUOTE] It was made to be the bane of my existence in woodwork and art.
I imagine it'd need to be applied correctly, otherwise droplets might get loose and contribute to potential blockages. It wouldn't be as simple as a spray or hypo; you'd definitely need some medical experience to apply the bioglue. Speaking of which, could this potentially be used to help reattach lost limbs? I know it sounds softer than cream cheese in terms of science, but if it can help fix holes in the heart, surely it could help secure someone's limbs and bones as they heal back together? If that application is viable, then HLAA should be standard issue for most medikits and hospitals, and could potentially prevent people from being amputees. Also, if limb-cloning becomes a big thing like organ cloning, then it could help repair pre-existing amputees, which would be a HUGE thing in medicine.
[QUOTE=Maximo13;43498218]Uh, wasn't superglue originally made for use in combat, to close wounds?[/QUOTE] If I'm not mistaken, superglue was a by-product of producing clear plastic gun sights in the 1960's. They didn't realize it was useful until about 11 years later.
[QUOTE=kurva;43498198]The love of my life left a big hole on my heart, can this glue fix it as well?[/QUOTE] That's what alcohol is for, buddy.
[QUOTE=ironman17;43498264]I imagine it'd need to be applied correctly, otherwise droplets might get loose and contribute to potential blockages. It wouldn't be as simple as a spray or hypo; you'd definitely need some medical experience to apply the bioglue. Speaking of which, could this potentially be used to help reattach lost limbs? I know it sounds softer than cream cheese in terms of science, but if it can help fix holes in the heart, surely it could help secure someone's limbs and bones as they heal back together? If that application is viable, then HLAA should be standard issue for most medikits and hospitals, and could potentially prevent people from being amputees. Also, if limb-cloning becomes a big thing like organ cloning, then it could help repair pre-existing amputees, which would be a HUGE thing in medicine.[/QUOTE] As somebody with medical training, I'll address this: First off, this is a huge development. If this gets perfected, many surgical procedures could be easily phased out and replaced by simple patch jobs. This alone is one of the biggest possible advantages - repairing congenital cardiac defects can become day care procedures instead of requiring several weeks' recuperation after major surgery. According to the article, they say that it's possible that it can indeed be used for many other medical purposes. Here's a simple analysis on what we do have, here: What is the primary building block found in a human heart? muscle, more specifically, cardiac muscle. An amputation, however, requires some thought here. Not only do you see extensive damage to the site in question, you have to be mindful of fundamental tissue architecture in the vicinity of the amputation site in order to proceed with reconstruction. This is why reconstructive surgery can be difficult - not only do you need to find a place to get donor tissue from, you'll need to make sure that the patient can use prostheses and won't be permanently disfigured (or at the least, minimize the damage.) In theory now, we could use the adhesive to repair the damage to the muscles and blood vessels, possibly even welding the bones together. However, there's one small pickle in that process - neurological damage. You can never really gauge the extent of neurological recovery in the event of re-attaching limbs, if the victim is fortunate, they may retain nearly full functional ability, or may lose some of it in varying degrees. Also, it's very hard to repair nerves once they have been damaged - not only are all functions lost immediately on neurotmesis (or complete division of a nerve), the total % of recovered function mainly depends on age. Young children can recover nearly 100% of functionality, but those in the geriatric group may only recover sensations, if at all they do so. And as for damage to the CNS in the current state of medical science - forget it.
Isn't the fact that it's biodegradable a bit of a problem? Wouldn't want the glue "wearing off" before the muscle's fully repaired. Or does muscle damage heal at roughly the same speed on all humans so they can make it biodegrade after that period passes?
[QUOTE=latin_geek;43498760]Isn't the fact that it's biodegradable a bit of a problem? Wouldn't want the glue "wearing off" before the muscle's fully repaired. Or does muscle damage heal at roughly the same speed on all humans so they can make it biodegrade after that period passes?[/QUOTE] Not really. Muscle damage in the general sense does heal at roughly the same rate in all average humans, and if it lasts long enough (shouldn't take more than a week to 10 days depending on the size of the hole) it should do. So if it has, say, a two-week degradation period, or even longer, that should be more than enough.
I misread that as "holes in the universe" and even though what they did is pretty cool, I'm left somewhat disappointed.
[QUOTE=proch;43498315]That's what alcohol is for, buddy.[/QUOTE] "Let's drink to him once more. He was a good Stalker."
[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;43498808]Not really. Muscle damage in the general sense does heal at roughly the same rate in all average humans, and if it lasts long enough (shouldn't take more than a week to 10 days depending on the size of the hole) it should do. So if it has, say, a two-week degradation period, or even longer, that should be more than enough.[/QUOTE] So does this bioglue encourage muscle regrowth? Analogous to clots/scabs to regrow skin/blood vessels?
I've got a hole in my heart, the size of a bucket, my lady left me, I said "AHHHHHH- Forget it!"
I could use some of that. :v: I really could...
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;43499711]So does this bioglue encourage muscle regrowth? Analogous to clots/scabs to regrow skin/blood vessels?[/QUOTE] more or less. What you're doing is bridging the gap with something inert first (this glue.) A defect that's too large can only heal over via secondary intention (thus causing scarring, which scars are almost always more fragile than the tissue which they replaced) or it may simply not bridge together and leave behind a hole. This sort of provides a platform for cells to regrow on as it's applied, and once enough tissue grows on the site, it degrades on its own.
[img]http://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/prodimages/361946.jpg[/img] Should do the trick, right? Or this. [thumb]http://www.homebase.co.uk/wcsstore/homebase/images/329228HBO111111X.jpg[/thumb]
[QUOTE=Britishboy;43503122][img]http://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/prodimages/361946.jpg[/img] Should do the trick, right? Or this. [thumb]http://www.homebase.co.uk/wcsstore/homebase/images/329228HBO111111X.jpg[/thumb][/QUOTE] I want this so bad.
'You're the superglue to my heart!' And then the chick gives you a slap
Man, if I was born later, I'd have had this done to me instead of the little metal piece they sent through my veins to my heart when I was 2. Plus, I wouldn't still have a tiny shard of metal in my heart that may one day shift for whatever reason.
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