Sustainable production of surgical sutures
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Suturion AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 680 000 |
| Project duration | July 2024 - July 2026 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Strategic efforts HI |
| Call | Sustainable manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical technology products - spring 2024 |
Important results from the project
Suturion has developed a sewing machine for closing the fascia after open abdominal surgery, which aims to simplify and streamline the process for surgeons to close with small, dense stitches, which leads to a reduced risk of surgery-related hernia. Through a grant from Vinnova, Suturion, together with Lund University, has investigated possibilities for a new production method to produce a domestically manufactured suture through changed suture design, raw materials and sustainability analysis.
Expected long term effects
The project is expected to have long-term positive effects. Environmental impact calculations are expected to lead to better material and production choices when developing new sutures. The design of sutures can be improved through the test methods developed and used during the project. With time and other developments on the raw material side, there are still opportunities to achieve the original ambition of improving and fundamentally changing suture manufacturing.
Approach and implementation
The project´s goal originally had a very high ambition to fundamentally change suture manufacturing. After investigation together with potential manufacturers and a closer review of the requirements and production challenges, the goal was adapted to take a first step towards the original goal. The collaboration with Lund University for the environmental impact assessment and with experts in various parts of tool manufacturing, prototyping, and production adaptations has worked very well.