Smart Sutures

Cutting nano-thin threads from silicon wafers, then imbedding them with nano-sensors that detect temperature or generate heat, and finally coating the strands with epoxy is how materials engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have created “smart” sutures that can indicate infection in one application and aid in wound healing in another.  This builds on technology used for inflatable catheters and medical tattoos, and for a future direction, electronic sutures may be able to deliver drugs as well. MORE

Image Credit:  John Rogers and Technology Review