Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed sutures that can monitor wound integrity, detect tissue micromovements, and detect inflammation. They can also quit drugs. The results of the work of engineers published Article in Matter magazine.
The researchers suggest that these sutures will help Crohn’s patients stand up faster after surgery to remove part of their bowel, but could be adapted for wound healing or surgical cuts in other parts of the body where scar-tracking is just as difficult. .
All this is possible thanks to an electronic sensor embedded in a medical silk thread covered with a conductive polymer. Allows you to respond to wireless signals. Doctors can monitor the condition of the sutures after surgery using a special wireless device.
While the wound is being sutured, the insulating part of the thread is passed through the electronic module and fixed by applying medical silicone to the electrical contacts. This part then acts as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and can be read by an external reader, which sends a signal to the smart filament and detects the reflected signal. A change in the frequency of the reflected signal indicates a possible surgical complication at the wound site.
The sutures could also be used to carry drugs used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, including the steroid dexamethasone and the monoclonal antibody adalimumab, the authors said. In the future, they plan to improve development.