Sutures Startup Seeks to Provide Novel Alternative to Wound Closure

Dissolvable sutures was by itself quite a novel development in the field of wound closure.

But Philadelphia startup ZSX Medical, founded in 2009, wants to improve the way those sutures actually perform the task of closing wounds.  

Dan Mazzucco, co-founder, president & CEO, believes that the Zip-Stitch Clips system will reduce the time that surgeons take to close wounds and provide better clinical benefits for patients. The product, currently in the pre-clinical stage, is at first being aimed at the women's health market to help in closing surgical wounds following a laparoscopic hysterectomy, where the uterus is removed using a keyhole incision in the abdomen. 

Mazzucco readily admits that the materials for the sutures are not novel. He is using time-tested materials that are used in today's absorbable sutures. But the way he is wielding common materials is novel.

Instead of piercing the tissue, as is common with current technology, the Zip Stitch Clips system gently holds the tissue together. The system is made up of a laparoscopic gun and a series of bio-absorbable clips.

"So the idea is rather than piercing tissue like sutures do and tying knots and have very stresses, we use a gentle closing mechanism that doesn't pierce the tissue," explained Mazzucco in a recent interview. "It spreads the load over a region and holds the tissue in place so that the body can heal naturally. Over the course of time, clips degrade in the body. You don't have a material staying the in the body forever much like an absorbable suture."

Mazzucoo believes that there are clear benefits to closing the tissue gently instead of piercing it.

"There is data that show that if you don't tie a suture really tight but you just gently compress the tissue together, that you get better healing," he says. 

But another benefit is a plus for surgeons, as well as patients.

"It's going to be faster to close surgical wounds using the Zip-Stitch Clip system," Mazzucco declared, noting that current laparoscopic hysterectomy wound closing times are 15 to 30 minutes. "There is a clear correlation between how long a surgical wound is open and the likelihood of complications like infection. Time under anesthesia is often correlated with major morbidity and complications."

While this sounds promising, the company, being in pre-clinical stage, is still a ways from launching the product. The company plans to conduct clinical testing next year but it has done two animal tests.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a Pennsylvania organization has invested in the firm, which has also won some angel investment along with federal grants. The company has raised roughly $2 million. Mazzucco said that the company is looking to raise $5 million in venture capital to allow for a targeted launch of the Zip-Stitch Clips system in 2015.

                                        [Photo Credit: iStockphoto.com user Wicki58]

-- By Arundhati Parmar, Senior Editor, MD+DI
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