To heal a wound, the body undertakes a series of actions collectively known as the wound healing process. During this time wounds that are open are at risk from infection, which is why, at the end of surgery wounds are closed to accelerate healing. The standard process has remained unchanged for decades. A new process looks set to change this.
The process has been developed by Michael Lebner of the company Wellesley. ClozeX is a needleless skin closure device based on patented technology. It is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) class 1 exempt medical device.
In trials, ClozeX has been shown to be twice as fast as standard suturing. Surgical suture is a medical device designed to hold body tissues together after an injury or following surgery. The application involves using a needle with an attached length of thread to bind a wound together. Following the drawing together of skin or tissue, surgical knots are used to secure the sutures.
Key to the design is a transparent, coaptive hypoallergenic film. This is designed to provide improved improvements in wound closure speed, control, safety, visibility. The product was developed over seven years with the help of plastic surgeons and other medical specialists.
In addition to being faster, the ClozeX device avoids the risks of needle sticks and suture related bacterial infections. The process is also said to improve cosmetic results. This is based on fifty trials (such as the Boston teaching hospitals) where the device has been tested. In total the trials cover 10,000 surgical procedures, which cover the spectrum from appendectomies, hernias and pediatric heart surgery to breast reconstruction, Caesarian sections and lacerations. The surgical tests are supported by specialized clinical studies.
The following video provides more information about the use of tjhe medical device:
In correspondence with Digital Journal, Lebner said he invented ClozeX in response to his daughter’s snowboarding knee injury and his wife’s hand laceration, which needed to be sutured in an emergency room. Because both of the resulting scars looked unsightly Lebner decided on a new approach.
The new device is set for an autumn 2017 release. On launch, ClozeX will come in eleven sizes up to four inches wide, which are applied side by side for closures of any length.
