Bond strength of fibrin glue between layers of porcine small intestine submucosa (SIS).

This study investigated the strength of the bond between layers of small intestine submucosa (SIS, Cook Biotech, Inc., West Lafayette, IN) glued with commercially available fibrin glue (Haemacure Corporation). To determine the conditions leading to the highest bond strength, three parameters were varied: the concentration of the fibrin component, the concentration of the thrombin component, and the type of applicator used to apply the two components. Five glue concentrations and two applicator types, a Paasch Airbrush and one provided with the Haemacure glue kit, were studied. To make the test specimens, two pieces of SIS were each sprayed separately with 1 mL of one of the glue components. The two pieces were then adhered and allowed to cure for two minutes. After the panels were glued, frozen, and lyophilized, they were cut to size according to ASTM Standard D 1876: Peel Resistance of Adhesives (T-Peel Test). The panels were then rehydrated, and tests were performed in an MTS tensile testing machine set to pull at a constant rate of 1 mm/sec over a 100 mm span. The mean force over the duration of the test was computed as specified in the ASTM standard. The airbrush was found to produce a stronger bond than the applicator supplied by Haemacure. Judged qualitatively, the airbrush also produced a much more uniform spray and consistent flow rate than the glue manufacturer's applicator. The data suggest that a decrease in concentration of both glue components yields increased bond strength, although variability in the results also increased with decreased glue component concentration.