Breakthrough in Medical Tech: Wireless Electronic Sutures Unveiled!

A research team led by Professor Jaehong Lee from the Department of Robotics and Mechanical Electronics at DGIST has developed a groundbreaking human implantable, wireless health monitoring electronic suture system.

This innovative system, created in collaboration with Yonsei University and Korea University, was detailed in the journal ACS Nano on May 14.

The wireless electronic suture is designed to be easily implemented in the medical field and is anticipated to have significant applications in orthopedic areas, including patient-customized rehabilitation.

The rise in sports-related injuries, such as ligament and tendon ruptures, has underscored the need for effective quantitative monitoring of tissue recovery. Traditional methods have faced technical challenges, but this new system offers a promising solution.

Professor Lee's team, working with Professor Wooyoung Jang's team from Korea University College of Medicine, developed a wireless implantable strain sensor that operates without a separate chip or battery.

This sensor, integrated into a medical suture, allows for remote monitoring of tissue recovery. It combines the functionalities of a medical needle and thread with electronic capabilities, ensuring accurate and patient-friendly monitoring.

The electronic suture system features an oil film coating to minimize immune reactions, enabling long-term stable operation. It can be applied as easily as a standard suture, making it highly practical for medical use. The system's stability was demonstrated in a porcine Achilles tendon rupture model, where it successfully monitored tissue recovery over a 10-week period.

"By developing wireless sensor devices in the form of medical sutures, we have brought them closer to real-world applications," said Professor Lee. "We hope to pioneer a new path in human-embedded health care devices by developing electronic sutures with multiple functions."

Read the study here!