The plasma device, developed by an Israeli firm, uses a stitch and
staple-free method of "welding" surgical wounds together to minimise scarring.
IonMed say their device could benefit mothers-to-be this autumn, but could
also be used to close wounds for burns victims and cosmetic surgery patients.
The BioWeld gadget, which will cost hospitals around £2,500, uses plasma – a
charged form of gas normally produced by welding torches – to weld wounds
together.
The 40C plasma welds a thin film of specially-designed material - based on a
naturally occurring sugar - over the wound, closing it without causing pain.
In three clinical trials on women undergoing c-sections, in which an
eight-inch incision is made along the bikini line, the wounds healed better than
the stitches and staples currently in use.
The company says that it takes just three or four minutes to seal a c-section
wound and that scarring is minimal.
Ronen Lam, vice president of business development at IonMed, the company
behind BioWeld, told the Daily Mail: “No one has done this before. Using plasma
enhances the complex wound healing process.
“Doctors can learn how to use this very quickly. There is almost no learning
curve.”
The BioWeld device was invented by Mr Lam’s brother Amnon, who used his
experience as a medic in the Israeli army to come up with the idea of using cold
plasma technology.
