SuturTek's Fascia Suturing Device Wins Gold Medical Design Excellence Award

NORTH CHELMSFORD, Mass. -- SuturTek Incorporated, a medical device company with a unique, patented safe-suturing solution, announces that its 360-degree Fascia Closure Device received a 2006 Gold Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA) during last week's presentation at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East Conference and Exposition in New York City. The Gold MDEA award is the highest level of recognition among these prestigious awards that exclusively recognize contributions and advances in the design of medical products.

Winner of the surgical equipment, instruments, and supplies category, the SuturTek 360-degree Fascia Closure Device is designed to prevent needlestick injuries during fascia closures. Fascia is the dense tissue layer under the skin and fat that envelopes the abdominal cavity and large muscles. Fascia closure is traditionally performed by manual suturing, using large, unprotected sharp needles and is a critical surgical operation performed at the conclusion of 5 million surgical procedures each year in the U.S. alone.

"We are extremely pleased to receive the Gold MDEA award and be recognized among many innovative medical products," explained Gerald Brecher, president and CEO of SuturTek Incorporated. "Our industrial design and manufacturing partners, Bleck Design Group and Lacey Manufacturing, Inc. were instrumental in the success of this product, and we are extremely appreciative of their contributions."

According to the American College of Surgeons, suture needle sticks occur in as many as 15 percent of all surgeries, and the most common cause of suture needle injury is suturing fascia, during which 59 percent of all suture needle injuries occur.

"Our patented fascia closure device is designed to bring suture needle stick prevention to the operating room, protecting surgeons, nurses, operating room staff, and patients against the risks of infection from potentially fatal blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS," explained Brecher. "The device enables surgeons to place stitches much more safely, quickly, and easily than traditional manual suturing."

The SuturTek 360-degree Fascia Closure Device is specifically designed to prevent suture needlestick injuries during fascia closure, and at all times the device is in use in the operating room. The mechanical device precisely replicates traditional manual suturing techniques using standard suture needles and standard sutures, but the sharp point of the needle is never exposed. Instead, the needle is always contained within a single-use, disposable needle-protected suture cartridge that attaches to the device.

Source: SuturTek Incorporated