Gecko-Inspired Stem Adhesive for Painless Wound Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicinal products for large surface area injuries like burn wounds and skin abrasions face challenges in maintaining effective adhesion to prevent moisture loss and contamination while being painful and risky to remove, especially from sensitive areas.
Innovation Solution
A medicinal product with stem parts that utilize van der Waals forces for adhesion, mimicking the gecko's foot structure, providing strong adhesion without damaging the skin and allowing for painless removal by forming an adhesive surface that can adhere to both the body and other functional surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a medicinal product uses strong adhesive forces to ensure good fixing and prevent moisture loss, then adhesion strength is improved, but removal becomes painful and may cause skin damage
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive surface is segmented into numerous individual stem parts (microscopic pillars) instead of a continuous adhesive layer. Each stem part acts as an independent adhesion unit, allowing selective engagement and disengagement. This segmentation enables the adhesive to maintain strong holding force while allowing painless removal by progressively disengaging individual stems without pulling on skin layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical adhesive systems (chemical adhesives, tapes, or mechanical fasteners) with a biomimetic system based on van der Waals forces. This substitution allows for reversible adhesion that can be strongly engaged during wear but gently released during removal, eliminating the skin damage associated with conventional adhesive removal.
2Reliability
If a medicinal product uses conventional adhesive materials to ensure good adhesion, then fixing is improved, but removal causes pain and potential reinjury
Solution Approach 1:
Conventional mechanical and chemical adhesive systems are replaced with a biomimetic system using van der Waals forces through gecko-inspired stem structures. This substitution provides reliable adhesion during wear while enabling painless removal, as the van der Waals forces can be easily disrupted by changing the angle or force of application during removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive system transitions from a static, permanent bond to a dynamic, controllable adhesion. The stem parts can adaptively engage with the skin surface during application and maintain reliable holding, but can be easily disengaged during removal by applying minimal force at an angle, making the adhesion process dynamic and controllable throughout the product lifecycle.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a medicinal product uses strong adhesion to prevent moisture passage, then moisture protection is improved, but removal becomes difficult and painful
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous moisture barrier is segmented into numerous individual stem parts that collectively provide effective moisture protection. During removal, this segmentation allows the adhesive to be progressively disengaged stem-by-stem, preventing the sudden, painful release that occurs with continuous adhesive layers while maintaining effective moisture barrier function during wear.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The product achieves strong adhesion to prevent moisture loss and contamination, while being easily removable without causing skin damage or pain, improving wound care outcomes by maintaining a moist environment and reducing patient discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
whose free front-side ends form an adhesion part in such a manner that it can be adhered at least partially on an individual and/or on another functional surface primarily by van der Waals forces
Data Source
AI summary
A medicinal product (10) is for the care of an individual having at least one injury such as a burn wound or a skin abrasion, in particular with a large surface area. The product includes at least one functional surface (12, 12′, 14) to at least partially cover the injury and/or to fix the medicinal product (10) to the individual. At least one functional surface (12, 12′) includes stem parts (18) protruding from the surface. The free end-faces of the stem parts form an adhesion section able to adhere at least partially to the individual and/or to a further functional surface (12′), predominantly by Van der Waals forces.