PFI-TT: Development and Evaluation of an Absorbable Surgical Adhesive Patch to Reinforce Internal Suture Lines in the Urinary Tract

Award ID: 2214057

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project will be to create a flexible, bioabsorbable, internal suture reinforcement device to significantly reduce post-operative complications and readmissions, decreasing hospitalization costs, and improving patient quality of life. The use of this device is anticipated to decrease total complications and readmissions by 20%, resulting in an average savings of $5,600 per procedure. This project will both evaluate the materials on tissue and digitally model tissue and materials for rapid device prototyping. Surgeon feedback will be used to further iterate the prototype to ensure that it is a readily applied closure system, optimized for surgeon use. The proposed project will develop a biodegradable, implantable, surgical closure device designed to consistently and reliably support and secure suture lines thereby promoting wound healing, regardless of tissue quality and/or surgeon experience. The initial development of this device will be for urinary tract reconstructive (UTR) procedures, including complex lower UTR (LUTR) such as bladder reconstruction, tissue closures following prostate surgery, and upper UTR such as ureteral procedures to facilitate drainage following kidney reconstruction. LUTRs, for example, involve long suture lines requiring significant skill and experience to minimize the post-operative complications. Additionally, in these cases, the tissue is often suboptimal resulting from aging, radiation, or fibrosis. The suture reinforcement device developed seeks to provide a technical solution designed to reduce complications and readmissions by reinforcing tissue and removing localized tension from the suture lines. The device will be designed to support the established method of tissue closure by reinforcing the suture lines already utilized by the surgeons. The proposed device would not significantly change the closure workflow and thus, would minimize any potential learning curve associated with the use of the device maximizing adoption. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Mara E. Schindelholz