Most people are afraid of a procedure such as stitching in the event of a serious injury. But new technology could replace the need for a painful procedure and even reduce scarring.
The new method uses an adhesive medical dye that binds collagen molecules to the damaged area of the skin when exposed to a green laser. The use of biodegradable optical fibers allows the laser to heal even deep cuts. Tests on pigskin have shown that this method can "glue" a wound in about 15 minutes, writes The Daily Mail.
The developers of the device from the University of St Andrews believe that their device can be used both after surgery and for healing injuries of internal organs.
Without optical fiber, the laser beam penetrates the skin 5mm less, but with new technologies its capabilities have increased to 23mm. This technique, also known as nano-drying, speeds up the natural healing process by helping the collagen molecule re-bond together. Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues such as skin, muscles, bones and tendons, where it forms a skeleton to give them firmness.
When exposed to green laser light, the dye picks up electrons from collagen molecules in the skin, forcing them to form covalent bonds with collagen on the other side of the wound.
The results of the project have been published in the journal Nature Communications.