新創可貼可從傷口吸出細菌
'Smart' Bandage Extracts Bacteria From Wounds
新創可貼可從傷口吸出細菌
In 1920, Johnson and Johnson employee Earle Dickson created the first bandage to cover the frequent burns and cuts his wife Josephine inflicted on herself while cooking. The hand-made prototype was instantly adopted by his employer and marketed as Band-Aid, a brand that has become synonymous with the word bandage. However, while the adhesive strips may now look different from Dickson's creation they still perform the same job - Prevent bacteria from entering wounds. However, that may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new gauze that not only acts as a barrier between external bacteria and the wound, but also, sucks out the ones already present!
1920年，爲了把妻子Josephine做飯過程中反覆弄傷的手包起來防止感染，Johnson和他的僱員Earle Dickson發明了世界上第一個創可貼。隨後，這種最初手工製作的創可貼在員工中迅速傳播，並被命名爲“邦迪貼”——取用英文“繃帶”一詞的諧音，開始對外出售。雖然現在的創可貼花樣繁多，但用途不變——始終用來防止細菌進入傷口。但是，這即將成爲過去，最近新發明的一款創可貼，不僅能防止細菌進入傷口，還能把傷口中的細菌吸出來。
The brilliant technology that is still in the early stages of development is being spearheaded by Martina Abirgo, a Ph.D. candidate at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. The team began by creating nanofibers using a technique called electrospinning. Used to build artificial tissue it entails pushing polymer out of an electrified nozzle to produce strands that are 100 times thinner than a single human hair. The nanofibers were then interwoven to create the smart bandage.
這項由澳洲斯威本科技大學的博士申請人Martina Abirgo發起的卓越的發明，尚處初始階段。他們團隊首先通過靜電紡絲技術，製造出一種納米纖維。這種纖維最初作人造纖維之用，可以把聚合物從電氣化噴嘴中分離成比髮絲還細100倍的線。這些納米纖維纏繞在一起就形成了智能創可貼。
Encouraged by the results, Martina and her team collaborated with scientists from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom to conduct similar tests on artificial skin. Though the results are yet to be published, the scientists say that the mesh worked as effectively on the human manufactured living tissue. The smart bandage will now be tested on humans, and if all goes well, patients and doctors will soon be able to just peel away harmful bacteria using this ingenious bandage.
受這個結果的鼓舞，Martina和她的團隊與英國謝菲爾大學的科學家們一起，在人造皮膚上做了相同的測試。雖然測試結果尚未發佈，科學家們已宣稱這種材料在人造組織上效果良好。隨後，智能創可貼將在人體測試，如果進展順利，醫生和病人們就能使用這種神奇的繃帶，把有害細菌從人體分離。
Though such a bandage would certainly be real cool for everyday playground scrapes and cuts, the technology is a lifesaver for people with compromised immunity levels. These include patients afflicted with diseases like diabetes and cancer. The researchers believe the technology could also be used to create protective clothing.
這種創可貼針對日常的擦傷和刀傷非常好用，對那些不幸患上糖尿病和癌症的人等免疫缺失的人羣來說，更是救命稻草。研究者還表示，這項技術也在防護衣的製作中也可以應用。
譯文屬原創，未經允許，不得轉載。
