Many surgeries require surgeons to join two pieces of tissue with delicate suturing, such as triple heart bypass, C‑sections, and repairs of hernias or tendons. Traditionally this is done by hand or with surgeon‑controlled robots, leaving almost no margin for error; even a tiny mistake can cause catastrophic leaks. SanaHeal aims to make tissue bonding as easy as applying a sticky note. Inspired by natural adhesives like barnacles and spider silk, the company created a bio‑adhesive that rapidly sticks to wet, uneven surfaces and forms airtight, fluid‑tight seals. The adhesive is a polymer‑water hydrogel that uses polyacrylic acid— the same absorbent material found in diapers—to draw water away from tissue within seconds, acting like double‑sided tape.
The technology has already received regulatory clearance for trauma bleeding control and will enter human trials next year to help manage intra‑operative bleeding and repair injured tissues. Founder and CTO Hyunwoo Yuk completed his master’s and PhD in MIT’s Mechanical Engineering lab, initially studying the mechanical properties of soft hydrogels before pivoting to biomedical uses after a family accident highlighted the challenges surgeons face. Traditional staples or sutures can damage tissue, trigger immune responses, and leave scar tissue.
Hydrogels are biocompatible, minimizing immune reactions and scar formation. Early prototypes behaved like double‑sided tape, absorbing water with polyacrylic acid and adhering to tissue in seconds. Yuk originally planned an academic career, but realizing the difficulty of moving an invention from lab to clinic, he founded SanaHeal. With support from MIT’s Deshpande Center, Venture Mentoring Service, and the Technology Licensing Office, the startup was incorporated in 2021 and secured seed funding.
The team first targeted wound‑hemostasis, then shifted to surgical applications because the need is larger and largely unmet. SanaHeal licenses its platform to larger medical‑device companies, which develop products for open, laparoscopic, and endoscopic procedures and can combine the adhesive with existing devices for suture‑less implantation in hernia and nerve repairs.
Yuk sees partnership as the only way to commercialize multiple products without the resources to develop them all in‑house. Although commercialization has taken longer than expected, seeing a lab‑originated technology improve patient outcomes makes the journey worthwhile. For him, the ultimate goal of research is to shepherd a discovery through the entire lifecycle—from science to approved product—an experience he hopes will inspire fellow researchers.