This experiment performed by Robert Frawley, Zachary Morsell, Morgan Oldfield, and I was done in our Mechanics of Materials class. Our goal was to determine which method, sutures, surgical staples, or surgical glue was most effective in holding together a large laceration in an emergency room setting. To do this, we used an Instron machine to test each method on how well they hold together a piece of silicone surrogate (representing the skin) under tensile forces. We then analyzed the data using Matlab and compared the ultimate stress of each method to determine which was the best.

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During the test, we found that the surgical glue had little to no effect on the surrogate. We believed that it was due to a lack of adhesion to that specific material and not a defect of the glue itself. Because of this, we had little data to analyze and could not come to an accurate conclusion about its effectiveness. We suggested that another material similar to skin should be used to test these methods (i.e. pig skin).

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From this experiment, I learned how to use an Instron machine and how different material properties affect performance in different situations. I also learned how to calculate different forces including stress and strain and how to use COMSOL to visualize how different shapes will deform under different types of force.