Biomedical engineers at Texas A&M University have developed lifelike skin replicas using Ecoflex, a type of silicone rubber, to simulate human skin for medical research. The breakthrough, published in Scientific Reports, aims to improve the testing of intravenous catheters, wearable sensors, and infection control measures.
The replicas are designed to mimic the texture, elasticity, and surface properties of human skin, offering a new platform to study bacterial adhesion and infection risks. Ecoflex, commonly used for prosthetics in film productions like The Grinch, can now serve a critical role in biomedical engineering.
“Our goal was to create a skin-like material with ingredients that are easily accessible,” said Majed Othman Althumayri, lead author and graduate student at Texas A&M’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Ecoflex is easy to use, cures quickly, and requires minimal processing.”
The researchers created molds of common intravenous insertion sites, such as hands, forearms, and elbows, and filled them with Ecoflex, artificial bones, and vein-like tubes to form realistic skin replicas. The team then tested the models for skin-like properties, including roughness, wettability, elasticity, and bacterial growth. Results showed the replicas could reproduce skin roughness with a margin of error of just 7.5%, and bacteria like Staphylococcus epidermidis—a key contributor to catheter-related bloodstream infections—could successfully adhere and grow on the surfaces.
A key experiment involved inserting an intravenous catheter into an Ecoflex hand replica, effectively modeling the bacterial growth phases seen during real-life catheter use. This development could support infection control strategies and improve the design of catheters and wearable biosensors, which could reduce hospital-acquired infections.
“We have been slow in finding solutions for catheter-related infections, partly due to a lack of testing platforms,” said Althumayri. “This model provides a new way to design and test devices that may lower infection rates.”
Each year, roughly 80,000 catheter-related bloodstream infections occur in intensive care units across the U.S., highlighting the urgency of the research.
Dr. Hatice Ceylan Koydemir, corresponding author and assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Texas A&M, emphasized the need for further development. “Incorporating elements like body fluids and clinically relevant conditions in future models will strengthen our findings and further demonstrate Ecoflex’s potential for medical applications,” she said.
As reported by medicalxpress, the research provides a promising foundation for improving medical device safety and infection prevention protocols in healthcare settings.