A sample of the iodine-infused filament in the lab. Credit: RMIT University
Key points:
- An antimicrobial suture that glows could provide an alternative for mesh implants and internal stitches.
- The new stitching is easily visible in CT scans and killed 99% of highly drug-resistant bacteria.
- The material has great promise as an alternative for vaginal mesh implants.
A new antimicrobial suture material that glows in medical imaging could provide a promising alternative for mesh implants and internal stitches.
One of the most common issues post-medical procedure is surgical site infections, which occur in 2 to 4% of patients. Some procedures, such as vaginal mesh implants that treat prolapse, have an even higher infection rate.
Shadi Houshyar, lead study author and senior research fellow at RMIT University, said the new suture is being designed with this type of procedure in mind.
“Our smart surgical sutures can play an important role in preventing infection and monitoring patient recovery and the proof-of-concept material we’ve developed has several important properties that make it an exciting candidate for this,” said Houshyar.
Lab tests on the surgical filament, published in OpenNano, showed the stitching was easily visible in CT scans when threaded through chicken meat, even after three weeks. It also showed strong antimicrobial properties, killing 99% of highly drug-resistant bacteria after 6 hours at body temperature.
The suture’s properties include a combination of iodine and tiny nanoparticles, called carbon dots. Carbon dots are inherently fluorescent, due to their particular wavelength and can be tuned to various levels of luminosity that easily stand out from surrounding tissue in medical imaging. Attaching iodine to these carbon dots provided the sutures with their strong antimicrobial properties and greater X-ray visibility.
“This project opens up a lot of practical solutions for surgeons, which has been our aim from the start and the reason we have involved clinicians in the study,” said Houshyar.
Next steps include pre-clinical trials and looking at other potential uses, especially in vaginal mesh implants and similar procedures. The team is also looking for industry partners to help develop the material further.