Since the late 1980’s, laboratory research has clearly indicated the potential for using lasers to “weld” biological tissues together. An important advantage is achieving an instant, watertight bond. While a few inventors have tried to create a practical laser system for use in surgical applications, none have been able to surmount all the engineering problems, particularly as they relate to the different set of laser parameters that are required for different tissues, e.g., wave-length, pulse duration, power level, exposure time, etc. An additional drawback with previous tissue welding technologies, even with optimized performance parameters, is that the use of these test systems is an art, which requires a great deal of experience on behalf of the operator to practice effectively despite attempts to automate the feedback and control of the units. Thus, it is easy to burn tissue or end up with an incomplete closure using this one-size-fits-all approach.
Michael Larson of the University of Colorado has developed a medical device which generates heat and pressure for the purpose of fusing tissue membranes together, as an alternative to the current methods of wound closure, including suturing and stapling. The first prototyped device is optimized for the fusion of septal membranes, and overcomes the barriers which have prevented others from creating an economically viable laser fusion solution.
To read a non-confidential summary of this technology, please click the image above. For more CU technologies available for licensing, please visit our
Tech Explorer site.
0 comments:
Post a Comment