Effects of direct vs alternating current on Voltaglue adhesion strength

• Main Author: Cheong, See Yin
• Other Authors: Terry W. J. Steele
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/77950
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Electroceuticals is a newly coined term for an old therapeutic modality that widely encloses all bioelectronic agents. Cardiac pacemaker, resynchronization and defibrillation applications have been a great use in coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation while electric bandage accelerates skin repairing and reduces wound infections. As compared to the conventional soft tissues anchoring techniques (surgical interference screws, suture anchor and mesh), hydrogel construct for tissue repairing offers a less destructive method for soft tissue fixation. Voltaglue, a hydrogel formulation is another type of stimulus-sensitive adhesive besides light activated, thermal activated and chemically activated, whereby the concept of electrochemically mediated crosslinking is adopted as its working principle. It can be activated when a potential difference is applied to it (on-demand activation), thereafter, activated crosslinking contributes to adhesive and cohesive properties. Voltaglue may serve as a new electroceutical tool for wound dressings while combining the advantageous effect of its inherent properties and electrical stimulation on soft tissues. In this project particularly, activation of Voltaglue is performed by electrocuring with direct and alternating current to govern the adhesion properties upon application on collagen films to mimic wet, soft tissue substrate. Mechanical properties of the electrocured bioadhesive is examined using lap shear adhesion. Current cured bioadhesive exhibited the highest adhesion of 67.1kPa for DC electrocuring and 80.1kPa for AC electrocuring.