Amend Surgical has received an undisclosed sum of money to commercialize a sutureless peripheral nerve repair device used to treat oral tissue wounds.
The Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Regenerative Medicine Resource Center provided the funding to further develop Tissure, a resorbable hydrogel membrane made with a chitosan-based adhesive that could potentially replace sutures for repairing peripheral nerve injuries.
Amend's sutureless nerve repair device.Image courtesy of Amend Surgical Inc.
Eliminating the need to suture peripheral nerves avoids trauma that can lead to scar tissue. Tissure is designed to adhere to wet tissue with more than five times the adhesion energy of surgical glues while also providing flexibility, according to Amend.
The hydrogel membrane resorbs over the duration of nerve healing and has a demonstrated pullout strength while adhered to a nerve of more than two newtons. Tissure is designed to bond to diverse wet surfaces, including nerve tissue and collagen, the company added. Though initial commercialization efforts will be focused on oral surgery, the company anticipates broadening its use in the future.
