US Edition‘Remarkable’ insect discovery could benefit modern surgery, say scientists
Researchers uncovered a sawfly ovipositor cutting system that selectively cuts soft tissue while preserving vital structures, addressing surgical tool limitations reported by 86% of surveyed surgeons.
- Researchers at Heriot-Watt University discovered that the female sawfly's ovipositor acts like a biological reciprocating saw, cutting selectively without sensors, Dr Mart� Verdaguer Mallorqu� said it 'essentially thinks for itself.'
- Female sawflies must make incisions while keeping the host plant alive, and natural selection produced a passive system relying on tooth geometry and composition, the analytical model shows.
- Using advanced electron microscopy and 3D imaging, the team decoded tooth geometry, and the scaled-up prototype operated on an ultimate stress threshold in laboratory substrates that mimic human tissue.
- Researchers suggest surgical instruments inspired by the mechanism could merge scissors-like precision with safety, benefiting neurosurgery where 86% report visibility issues, nearly 80% fear tissue damage, and 57% seek better tools.
- The study examined only two species out of more than 8,000 sawfly species, revealing different tooth geometries and prompting the research team seeking funding for prototypes in biomimetics.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Smart cutting system used by female sawflies could transform surgery and reduce patient harm
Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have unlocked the secret behind how female sawflies make specific cuts to plants—a discovery that could revolutionize surgical instruments and dramatically reduce the cutting of healthy tissue during operations.
perspectivemedia.com
‘Remarkable’ insect discovery could benefit modern surgery, say scientists
Scientists found that sawfly’s egg-laying organ acts like a biological saw which instinctively knows what to cut. A “remarkable” discovery about a wasp-like insect’s mechanism for cutting into plants could have implications for modern surgery, scientists say. Researchers at Heriot-Watt University examined how female sawflies make such specific cuts when planting their eggs into plants. They found that sawfly’s egg-laying organ – called an ovipos…
‘Remarkable’ insect discovery could benefit modern surgery, say scientists - Rother Radio
A “remarkable” discovery about a wasp-like insect’s mechanism for cutting into plants could have implications for modern surgery, scientists say. Researchers at Heriot-Watt University examined how female sawflies make such specific cuts when planting their eggs into plants. They found that sawfly’s egg-laying organ – called an ovipositor – acts like a biological reciprocating saw which instinctively knows when to cut and when to push material as…
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