每日一翻：Carnivorous Plant Inspires Anticlotting Medical Devices

Medical devices like implanted arteries or external dialysis machines keep people alive. But persistent problems exist. Blood flowing through the tubes can form dangerous clots. And bacteria that stick to surfaces could start infections.

植入动脉或体外透析机这些医疗设备能使人的生命得以延续。但是这存在着持久性问题。血液从导管流过可能会引起危险的血栓，附着在导管表面的细菌也会引起感染。Treatment for patients using such devices thus often includes anti-clotting agents such as heparin. But such substances have their own risk: by interfering with clotting, they can cause potentially deadly bleeding.

所以用这样的设备治疗病人的同时都得附带抗凝血药物，比如肝素。但是这些药物会有副作用，比如会干扰正常的凝血，这样可能会导致致死性的出血。Recently, researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University looked to the carnivorous pitcher plant for guidance. The plant’s structure includes wells with surfaces too slippery for insects to crawl out of. Those surfaces inspired the development of a coating so slippery that it prevents blood and bacteria from sticking.

最近，哈佛大学生物工程研究所的研究员们从食肉性猪笼草身上得到了启发。这种植物有一个可以诱捕昆虫的瓶状叶结构，这种结构内部表面特别光滑从而防止诱捕到的昆虫爬出来。这种光滑的表面结构激发了一种光滑涂层的发展，这种涂层可以阻止血液和细菌的附着。The team tested the coating on the interiors of tubes and catheters attached to pigs. They demonstrated that the coating did not degrade, and that blood kept flowing without clotting, for eight hours. Blood usually starts to clot in tubes in an hour. The study is in the journal Nature Biotechnology. [Daniel C. Leslie et al, A bioinspired omniphobic surface coating on medical devices prevents thrombosis and biofouling]

小组在血液导管和猪身上的导尿管的内部测试了这种涂层。他们证实，在长达八小时之后，这种涂层都不会脱落，并且血液也没有形成血栓。通常血液在导管中一个小时就会开始形成血栓。这项研究被发表在《自然生物技术》杂志上。The researchers also tested whether a gecko could latch onto the coating with its notoriously sticky footpads. But not even the gecko could get a grip.

研究员们还测试了壁虎能否用它众所周知的粘性脚垫附着在这种涂层上，发现即使是壁虎也无法做到。—Cynthia Graber