The research findings were published in the journal Science. “Bandages, glues and stickers are common bioadhesives used at home or in clinics. However, they usually do not adhere well to wet skin. It is also difficult to control where they are applied and the strength and duration of the adhesion created,” said McGill University professor Jianyu Li, who led the research team of engineers, physicists, chemists and clinicians. “We were surprised to find that by simply playing with the intensity of the ultrasound, we can very precisely control the stickiness of the adhesive bandages on many tissues,” said lead author Zhenwei Ma, a former student of Professor Li. Working with physicists Outi Supponen and Claire Bourquard from the Institute of Fluid Dynamics at ETH Zurich, the team experimented with ultrasound-induced microbubbles to make adhesives stickier. “The ultrasound causes many microbubbles, which temporarily push the adhesives into the skin for stronger adhesion,” said Professor Supponen. “We can even use theoretical modeling to estimate exactly where adhesion will occur.” Their study, published in the journal Science, shows that the adhesives are compatible with living tissue in rats. Adhesives can also be used to deliver drugs through the skin. “This paradigm-changing technology will have major implications for many branches of medicine,” said University of British Columbia professor Zu-Hua Gao. “We are very excited to translate this technology for clinical applications in tissue repair, cancer therapy and precision medicine.” “By merging mechanical, materials and biomedical engineering, we envision the broad impact of our bioadhesive technology in wearable devices, wound management and regenerative medicine,” said Professor Li, who is also a Canada Research Fellow in Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Health.
