The sutures used to close large wounds and surgical incisions mostly work, but are far from perfect. A new biocompatible polymer originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can bond and repair tissue without causing damage, potentially providing a better way to heal wounds.
The project has been in the works for several years, initially as part of a PhD student project studying polymers, and later as a fixed platform that can safely seal holes in the hearts of pigs and mice.
In 2013, the research results were spun out from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a company called Tissium was established to further expand its capabilities and solve problems for surgeons who are still using traditional tissue repair methods such as sutures and staplers for decades. One of the outstanding features of this polymer is its ability to adhere to wet tissue after being exposed to blue light for about 30 seconds.
The thickness and hydrophobicity of the Tissium biopolymer are tuned to optimize its ability to adhere to wet tissue upon blue light activation
To this end, Tissium is exploring multiple tissue repair solutions based on its biopolymer technology and is currently commercializing a repair technology for nerves in fingers and toes. The technology, called Coaptium Connect, consists of polymers that support healing, a 3D-printed shell to immobilize the nerves, and blue light that activates the polymers.
Once the polymer has been applied and activated so that it is fully attached, the cannula is removed and the incision to expose the nerve is sutured. The polymer helps create strong connections between nerve endings and subsequently dissolves through hydrolysis. You can see this process in the animation below.
Tissium's nerve repair solution uses a light-activated polymer (green) that supports nerve healing and subsequently dissolves
Tissium says it has tested it on 12 patients with damaged finger nerves, and all patients regained the ability to fully bend their fingers and toes. In contrast, the company's analysis showed that only 54% of patients who underwent suture nerve repair had a highly effective recovery after the procedure, meaning the remaining patients may face problems with sensory and motor function in their fingers.
Coaptium Connect has received marketing authorization from De Novo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now available in the United States. Tissium is currently refining the technology behind it to develop six additional products, including a hernia repair system and a cardiovascular sealant.
According to company co-founder Jeff Karp, there is room for further development of this light-activated polymer to create a range of implantable medical devices. "Our polymer is programmable, so we can program degradation and mechanical properties, which could open the door to other exciting breakthroughs in medical devices, bringing new functionalities," he said.
Source: MIT News