Surgery without Stitches

A thin polymer film that seals surgical wounds could make sutures a relic of medical history.

Measuring just 50 microns, the film is placed on a surgical wound and exposed to an infrared laser, which heats the film just enough to meld it and the tissue, thus perfectly sealing the wound. Known as Surgilux, the device's raw material is extracted from crab shells and has Food and Drug Administration approval in the US.

Read the full article:
"Surgery without stitches"
http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2007/dec/Surgilux.html

Contact:
Dr. John Foster | +61 2 9385 2054 | j.foster@unsw.edu.au

UNSW Media:
Dan Gaffney | +61 411 156 015 | d.gaffney@unsw.edu.au

Category:

Education

Tags:

• unsw
• unswtv
• research
• medicine
• science
• crabs
• surgery
• stitches
• john
• foster
• marcus
• stoodley
• microbiology

[UNSW]

@ Mosee190. As in resistance is futile??

[primalkhaos]

fantastic work by fantastic researchers

[johnrolandyeiseriii]

The chitin protein is very strong and useful

[StrelokNikitin]

Why does this remind me of the skin patches in Aeon Flux?

[tracey6999997777770]

Its 2011

the wait begins

[Mosse190]

Assimilation successful.

[MaCs1313]

any news about a immortality pill or something? If not try harder and find more innovating medical products like this.

[fourtywpm]

Crabs aren't humble! They're some of the most arrogant creatures on earth! ! ! ha ha No, just kidding. This sounds like a great to close up a wound.

[CookieMonzta1995]

This will be great to go along medical built limbs/organs and bionic limbs/organs :)

[conillusionist]

haha, this is why I support education!! :) great video thanks!

[1888junkteam]

excellent work!