Unmet Need
Nearly 750,000 patients in the United States per year require hemodialysis. In order to achieve hemostasis after percutaneous hemodialysis interventions, purse string sutures are routinely utilized. A purse string suture is sewn with a particular pattern so that the beginning and end of the suture strand lie close together. Days or weeks after placement, the sutures will require removal. However, the removal procedure can be very painful for patients as the tightly knotted suture can become partially buried in the patient skin and can cause unpleasant pinching upon removal. Local anesthetic is occasionally required for the removal procedure. There are other makeshift techniques that have been proposed to ease suture removal, such as securing a purse string over a spacer, but these techniques are less secure and still require formal suture removal. Thus, there is a need for a way to make purse string suture removal easier and less for patients.
Technology Overview
The inventors have created a device designed to secure a purse string suture in place without needing to knot the strands, allowing for easier, less painful removal. The invention is called a cinch and is made up of one solid piece of material with no moving parts. The free tails of the purse string suture are put through the cinch, which anchors and secures the strands, maintaining hemostatic tension without the use of a knot. The cinch will provide pressure directly onto the puncture site to stop bleeding. After application, the cinch can be left in place for hours or days prior to being removed. The device can easily and painlessly be released and removed when the suture is no longer needed. The simplicity of the cinch also allows the sutures to be removed by any able-bodied person, which eliminates the need for follow-up visits to practitioners.
Stage of Development
The technology is currently being created and tested.
