Undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have developed a disposable suturing tool designed to guide the placement of stitches, according to a news release.
The FastStitch device, described as a cross between a pliers and a hole-puncher, is also designed to help guard against accidental puncture of internal organs. It features a visual guide to help ensure stitches are placed evenly, located the proper distance away from the incision and apart from one another.
FastStitch is still in the prototype stage.
"We're developing the future of suture," said Sohail Zahid, who earned his undergraduate degree in May and has applied to Johns Hopkins' MD/PhD program in biomedical engineering, in the release. "We believe that if the FastStitch tool is used to close abdominal incisions, it will help in three important ways: It will help surgeons by making the closure process simpler and safer. It will help hospitals by reducing costs. And, most importantly, it will help patients by reducing post-operative complications."
The students behind FastStitch's invention have formed a Baltimore-based company to conduct further research and development of the device.
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