When we think of Nissan, we think of cars. But now the Japanese company wants us to think of iPhone cases too.

    On Monday it announced the Nissan Scratch* Shield iPhone case, describing it as “self-healing.” This means that if you scratch it, it will mend* itself, with small scratches healing in as little as one hour, and deeper ones taking up to a week.

    The technology, developed by Nissan together with the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc., involves a special kind of paint already used on a number of Nissan cars.

    “The outer ‘paint’ is made from polyrotaxane*,” Nissan explains on its Web site, “which means that when damage occurs to the coating in the form of a fine scratch, the chemical structure is able to react to change back to its original shape and fill the gap — ‘healing’ the blemish*.”

    It’s the first time it’s been used with a non-automotive product and has the added benefit of being easier to grip than the iPhone’s glossy* surface. Nissan also says that the plastic used for the case is stronger than other plastics.

    The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case is being tested in the field with the car giant considering a commercial release later this year. (SD-Agencies)