Dyed, resorbable sutures allow surgeons to clearly see the material during use, but clear sutures are usually preferable in cases where visible suture lines would be less than ideal for the patient, leading to increased difficulty and eyestrain for the surgeon. These conflicting needs- for an easily visible suture material that reduces eyestrain and a clear, discreet material preferred by patients- represent an opportunity for a useful medical device to meet both.
Description
A novel fade-to-clear suture is easy to see during the suturing procedure but fades to clear in vivo over the first 24 hours. A conventional suture is coated with an FDA-approved, fast-degrading polymer mixed with an ion-exchanged, FDA-approved dye. The coating is sufficiently robust to be pulled through tissue without loss of color but degrades quickly enough to be clinically relevant. The animal tissue surrounding the fade-to-clear sutures show no retention of the dye, and the sutures fade to the same clear color as unmodified control sutures.
Applications
· Reducing eyestrain for clinicians
· Increasing patient satisfaction with suturing outcome
Advantages
· Can be seen clearly by the surgeon during the procedure
· Robust enough to retain color during procedure
· Fades quickly after implantation for patient comfort and convenience
· Dye is not retained in tissue
· Explicitly designed to follow the 510(k) regulatory pathway for quick approval
Invention Readiness
Prototype
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2020028666A1
