Comparative Evaluation of a Dopamine-Conjugated Alginate Sealant Patch for Pleural and Tracheal Injury Repair
Garrison, Alannah
Garrison, Alannah
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Abstract
Persistent air leaks following lung trauma or surgery and defects in the tracheobronchial tree remain challenging clinical problems that can prolong hospital stays and lack simple, durable solutions. The Weiss Lab has developed a novel, easy-to-use sealant patch, or lung �band-aid,� that can be rapidly applied to pleural tissue and has demonstrated promising performance in preclinical lung and tracheal injury models. This project evaluates a dopamine-conjugated alginate methacrylate (ALG-MA-DA) sealant patch as a potential alternative to commercially available surgical sealants for pleural and tracheal injury repair. We hypothesize that dopamine conjugation improves wet-tissue adhesion and sealing performance, allowing the patch to better withstand physiologic airway and pleural pressures. To test this, patches are compared with commercially available sealants with standardized burst pressure experiments. Sealant performance is assessed through burst-pressure testing, adhesion strength, conformability, and handling characteristics. Burst pressure studies have shown that these patches withstand burst pressures well above normal human lung physiologic pressures of approximately 30 cm H?O, with the most recent formulations consistently exceeding 100 cm H?O. Patch testing has advanced to in vivo survival models in rats and, more recently, to consistently successful 6-month pleural injury survival studies in pigs. Comparative burst-pressure testing against commercially approved Progel suggests that our patch offers improved reliability, versatility, and broader potential use cases, although these studies remain ongoing. Additional work evaluating autologous blood priming in both in vivo and ex vivo models has demonstrated strong adhesion and the potential to further streamline patch application. Overall, these findings support the ALG-MA-DA patch as a promising and highly versatile alternative to existing surgical sealants for pleural and tracheal repair. Its strong adhesive performance, high burst-pressure tolerance, and adaptability across tissue conditions suggest potential for broader soft tissue and trauma applications, including future use in other organ injuries.
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Date
1/1/2026
Student Status
Medical School Student
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Poster
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MD
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Larner College of Medicine
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Clinical Science