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Ear infections, or the inflammation of the middle ear typically caused by bacteria, are a notorious nuisance in early childhood. The high incidence, recurrent nature, and non-specific presentation of ear infections in children have made it a feared diagnosis among parents.

Since the emergence of COVID-19 over two years ago, this disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has had a monumental impact on society, with 514 million cases and 6.24 million deaths reported globally to date. It appears likely that COVID-19 will remain present for the foreseeable future, and as the third coronavirus to emerge as a human pathogen in the last 17 years, there is a clear possibility that others will arise in the future.

Since their first known use thousands of years ago, surgical sutures—simple medical devices consisting of a needle and thread—have remained the most common method to close wounds and hold together tissue after surgery. While time has brought advancements in methods and materials, the basic nature of surgical sutures has not changed since their conception, and their use still poses significant risk of complications to patients. But what if doctors could close tissues without the use of sutures at all?