Materials scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have invented a new type of surgical glue that can bond blood vessels and close wounds, even when their surfaces are wet.
Named CaproGlu, it is activated by a low dose of ultraviolet light that cures it in seconds, turning it from a liquid glue into a solid but flexible biorubber – a biocompatible material that can be resorbed by the tissue after a few weeks.
Unlike current bio-adhesives – which need two chemicals to be mixed prior to use – the CaproGlu is a one-pot liquid gel solution that comes ready-to-use.
In a study published in Biomaterials in July they showed in animal experiments that blood vessels can be rejoined with just four stitches and a mesh wrapper dipped in CaproGlu, compared to the usual eight stitches that are required for a reliable and unobstructed join. The authors estimate that this will reduce surgery time by 25 per cent, as surgeons spend less time and effort stitching up blood vessels and tissues.
They also showed that CaproGlu can also be used to deliver local anaesthetics or pain relief medication to tissues in the body, which may be useful both during and post operation.
The adhesion strength of CaproGlu was compared to other commercial bioadhesives on the market and was found to be three to seven times stronger, and is on a par with the shear strength of collagen and muscle tissue found in the human body.
CaproGlu combines two ingredients into a single-component formulation that does not require additives. The first is polycaprolactone – a biodegradable polymer which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for specific applications used in the human body – and the second: diazirine, a light-sensitive molecule that can form strong bonds when activated.
The research team have filed for a provisional patent for the biorubber glue.
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Philips has introduced OmniWire, the world’s first solid core pressure wire for coronary artery interventional procedures.
Its breakthrough solid core construction enables physicians to more easily manoeuvre the wire in the patient’s circulatory system to measure blood pressure along the vessel and guide the delivery of catheters and stents.
The new wire supports iFR (instant wave-Free Ratio) measurements, the only resting index supported by randomized controlled outcome trials, as well as FFR (fractional flow reserve) measurements. It also integrates with the Philips IntraSight interventional applications platform, which can co-register iFR data onto the angiogram to precisely identify the parts of vessels requiring treatment.
Traditional pressure wires use a hollow metal tube (hypotube) to house the wiring that transmits the pressure information. Due to their thin walls, these wires can be challenging to manoeuvre and can sometimes kink, potentially becoming damaged during the procedure. OmniWire is the world’s first solid core pressure guidewire, using advanced conductive ribbons embedded in its outer polymer layer to communicate pressure information. The distal part of the wire is made from Nitinol, a super-elastic, durable material that is commonly used in non-diagnostic, interventional ‘workhorse’ guide wires. The proximal part of the wire is constructed from a highstrength cobalt alloy that provides the high durability required for complex and multi-vessel cases.
Commenting on the device, Dr. Jasvindar Singh, director of the catheterization lab at Barnes Jewish Hospital and associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, U.S., who performed the first human case with OmniWire in the United States, said: “I have been very impressed with the handling of OmniWire, the new solid core design performed beautifully, and I was able to navigate the difficult case easily. We used iFR co-registration and found that the patient needed a stent. I was then able to perform the whole procedure working over OmniWire. This is truly an innovation in percutaneous coronary interventions.”
OmniWire has received clearance from the U.S. FDA and approval from the Japan Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency.
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The VeinViewer® from Greiner Bio-One helps doctors and healthcare workers with venous access for venipunture by providing a visualization of the veins beneath the skin.
The VeinViewer uses harmless near-infrared (NIR) light which is absorbed by haemoglobin in the blood and surrounding tissue and reflected back to the VeinViewer device, where the data is processed into an image; colour is added and the image is reflected back to the skin surface to provide a real time visualization of the blood vessels and patterns up to 10 mm below the skin. High Definition technology helps provide the clinician with clear, sharp imaging to support routine healthcare work when vein conditions are poor.
Two devices are available: VeinViewer Flex and VeinViewer Vision2
VeinViewer Flex is a portable device for use in emergency situations or in rooms with limited space. The VeinViewer Flex can be made static by using the flexible arm provided for attachment to a table or arm of a chair, for example.
The VeinViewer Vision2 is a mobile imaging unit with an arm reaching up to 135 cm. The VeinViewer Vision2 is attached to a trolley for easy transportation between beds or phlebotomy chairs.
VeinViewer is recommended for many application areas:

• Vein care centres – spider veins
• Oncology
• Geriatrics
• Dialysis wards
• Casualty / emergency situations, triage
• Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Doctors’ offices

For more information, visit: www.gbo.com
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Telemis, the medical imaging, archiving and transmission specialist, has released a new version of the company’s widely-deployed Telemis-Medical platform. The company says that through the tech advances within Telemis-Medical Version 4.95, physicians will be able to perform functions much quicker – leading to considerable time savings and greater convenience.
The latest version of Telemis-Medical expands the array of possible configurations of diagnostic media (DICOM images, JPG and PDF files, videos, etc.) accelerating access, analysis, and sharing of vital data.
Among the major add-ons is access to an unlimited choice of user-defined mouse button combinations, which will speed up the image manipulation process. Users will also benefit from a swift and intuitive drag-and-drop tool that facilitates export of images to multiple destinations.
In relation to the treatment of cancer patients, specifically radiotherapy, this latest upgrade also offers new features. For example, with the help of the improved Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs), radiotherapists will be able to monitor radiation intensity and localization better.
In addition, the new version of Telemis-Medical has substantially bolstered security mechanisms in order to safeguard patient data. URLs randomization adds a level of security to the image distribution platform (TM-Publisher Web) in full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines. Furthermore, healthcare institutions can define their own ‘conditions of use’, which TM-Publisher Web users will be asked to accept before accessing any data.
For more information, visit: www.telemis.com
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