Futuristic Device Fixes Holes In The Heart Without Invasive Surgery

“The catheter can be removed, leaving only the adhesive and patch behind,” Ellen Roche, a researcher at Harvard University’s SEAS/Wyss Institute and co-author of the paper, told The Huffington Post in an email. “These act as a bridge for tissue ingrowth, and will eventually disappear once the defect has healed.” 

In other words, since the patch and adhesive are biodegradable, they dissolve into the body as the tissue heals. The researchers plan additional study to fine-tune the rate at which the patch degrades, New Scientist reported.

The patch hasn’t been tried on humans, but the scientists have successfully tested it on rat tissue and in the hearts of living pigs.

“Although the catheter is in early research stages, it represents a step along the translational path to closing tissue defects less invasively,” Roche said. 

The paper was published Sept. 23 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

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