Dissolvable Strip 'Can Instantly Relieve Hot Coffee Burns'

Dissolvable Strip 'Can Instantly Relieve Hot Coffee Burns'
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Researchers have created a dissolvable oral strip to instantly relieve burns from hot coffee or food.

The strip can "immediately relieve pain from burns caused by ingestion of hot foods and liquids, such as coffee, pizza, and soup".

The invention has been hailed as a way to drink piping hot liquids without waiting for them to cool - but is really intended to promote quick healing after accidental burns.

Lead researcher Jason McConville, Ph.D., and colleagues from University of Texas at Austin, designed the strip.

It applies a local anaesthetic (benzocaine) used in dental products and throat lozenges, and slowly disolves on the tongue or roof of the mouth without interfering in daily life.

"We found these strips to be non-toxic, which has huge potential for anyone who burns their mouth while eating and drinking hot foods--and that's just about everyone," said McConville.

"The strips look and behave similar to breath freshening strips that you might find at your local drugstore."

The team is now looking to make an even stronger strip which can last for two to three days - and still have to test the strips on humans.

So for now it's probably best to wait for your coffee to cool down before drinking it.