Optical glue gun design for tissue adhesives

Abstract

The use of mechanical fastening remains the primary method for closing wounds. This invasive method can result nerve damage and entrapped tissue necrosis from injuries to the capillary vessels. To date, there is an unmet clinical need for a non-invasive instrument that can close wounds within seconds without damaging surrounding tissues. This project explores the use of UV activated diazirine bioadhesives (CaproGlu) and attempts to design an optical glue gun for the bioadhesive application. The structure-property relationships of CaproGlu are evaluated by two main parameters. The control of temperature and the UV dosage supplied to the bio adhesive to achieve greater degree of crosslinking after photoactivation. A customised temperature-controlled rheometer plate is designed in the process and experimentation on intensifying high-powered UVA LED is conducted. Rheological studies on different molecular weights CaproGlu at elevated temperature were also conducted to determine the effect of temperature on the final material property.