Patching up holes in blood vessels and the heart’s walls may become easier with a new light-activated glue. This adhesive, described in the journal Science Translational Medicine, sets in seconds when exposed to UV light.

The new adhesive could offer an alternative to surgeons who are dissatisfied with current methods for repairing cardiac fissures, all of which have drawbacks. The sutures and staples often used can damage fragile tissue, and they don’t immediately form a watertight seal. What’s more, most existing surgical glues don’t adhere well to wet tissue and can’t withstand the pressure that a beating heart exerts on the heart chambers’ walls and blood vessels; some are even rendered ineffectual if they react chemically with blood…

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*Also see http://youtu.be/iaZhJuxPNpA

*Also see http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/6/218/218ra6

Read more here http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/light-activated-glue-can-heal-broken-hearts