Ouchies, booboos, and owies are frequently accompanied by Mama’s kiss and a slap of the ole Band-Aid.
Not Anymore!
Bandages (officially) have existed since Joseph Lister (surgeon circa 1860s) gave a lecture on how sticking your hands in people’s bodies results in unwanted contamination and general icky-ness. But even further back, we have instances of Roman soldiers creating bandages from a mixture of spiderwebs and Mesopotamian Sorcerers using beer and animal fat on plaster.
We now live in a world where bandages are small, compact and fully customizable with whatever icon/deity/food/animal you believe enhances your body’s natural drive to heal.
Hell, there was even a Chinese company that wanted to create a bandage Mp3 Player that runs off of body heat(which would have been great for anyone going to raves)
Recently, there has been a wonderful creation via the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science labs at UCLA; where doctors have invented a bio-material that injects directly into wounds to fortify and promote healing.
The magical healing gel is applied directly to the wound and created a “wet” scaffolding that promotes cellular binding within the pores inside of the wound. The material is durable, yet degradable; proving it’s usefulness when applied to open surgery or repairing the tissues within stomach lining. It’s chemical composition can also be altered for use on various parts of the body. It’s a revolutionary product that will only see more uses in bridging the current and emerging bio technologies.
But this isn’t the first instance of these “Miracle Gels” aiding medical science.
Back in 2011, Joe Landolina, an NYU Grad, created a substance called “Veti-Gel” which is a composite of plant and synthetic material. Veti-Gel was made to successfully combat excessive bleeding by solidifying the blood platelets around the wound without applying any additional pressure. In 2008, the University of Bristol also rolled out their version of Skin Healing Cream by developing a substance that prevents the development of SCAR Tissue.
Hopefully, these Gels will soon all be widely available. I’d like to heal myself just like video games; without the intensive process of pain, medical stay, and insurance billing.
