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Leyf Peirce, Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC: If you cut your finger with a sharp knife while cutting up carrots, how many layers of cells have to heal before it gets better? What can you do to make it heal faster? Is there any BME design that can hold the cut together that isn't as big as a band-aid which can get in the way?
Alex Bailey:
Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? Unfortunately though, it is not that thick so it is very easy to get a cut while working in the kitchen. Basically, your skin is composed of three layers (epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis) and is anywhere from 0.35 mm to 4.5 mm thick, depending on its location.
Why does skin thickness vary so much? Think about the skin on your eyelids - it is very thin, about 0.35mm thick, because it is not likely to get cut or damaged. Compare that to the skin on your palms that is touching things everyday, picking up sharp and rough objects, etc. and it becomes obvious why it has to be much thicker (about 4.5 mm thick).
So to get a cut, you'd have to cut through a fairly significant amount of skin. But did you know that you'd first have to cut through an entire layer of skin that is composed of only dead cells? This layer is called the stratum corneum and includes up to 30 layers of cells. Part of the epidermis, it is the outermost layer of skin on your body and is shed every 2 weeks!
Typically, you can make cuts heal faster by using a Band-Aid to help stop the bleeding and prevent any additional damage and also use an antibiotic ointment (example Neosporin) to kill any bacteria present that acts to slow down the healing process. If the cut is bigger, a large bandage or gauze may be needed to cover the entire wound. Sometimes stitches are even necessary to keep the cut from re-opening. In the military they now use a fibrin gel (think glue!) to close internal and other hard-to-reach wounds (and other oddly shaped ones!).
Can you think of any other creative ways to hold cuts and other wounds close? What factors should be important in the design process? I'll get you started:
1) Cost: it has to be inexpensive or people won't use it
2) Safe: it shouldn't make the cut or wound more painful or cause long-term damage
3) Effective: it has to work
4) Easy to use: does it get in the way and make everyday tasks difficult?
5) Waterproof: is it going to come off every time you wash your hands or take a shower?
6) Long lasting: will it stay on long enough for the cut to heal?
What about using some kind of safe, fast-drying glue? Maybe a Band-aid that is a lot stickier? What about a Band-Aid that is made of your own skin cells (then you never have to take it off and it would just "grow" into the wound)? Believe it or not, researchers are working on ideas just like this.
What ideas do you have?
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