The membranes include the unusual Type 10 collagen, which prevents calcification. It could be used to make transplanted heart valves last longer and to treat osteoporosis. Egg membranes also contain the common Type 1 collagen, which could be used in cosmetics, plastic surgery and in sponges or powders as hemostats - used in hospitals to stop bleeding. MacNeil and Penn State await approval of a patent on the deceivingly simple process to efficiently pull off the stubborn membranes. MacNeil spent years looking at every attempt under a microscope in frustration - wishing he could just use a knife.
Meat processors use a device called a comitrol, a cylinder that looks a little like an oil filter.
On the inside are razor-sharp blades. MacNeil's procedure involves shooting the eggshells through the comitrol, producing a fluffy substance. When that's dumped in water, the shells fall to the bottom and the membrane float to the top. It makes sense.