Abseal

Abdominal Suture Applicator

The Abseal is a medical device that aims to improve the speed and efficacy of applying consistent abdominal sutures post laparoscopic surgery on patients with larger than normal abdominal walls. Current procedures involve a high level of skill by the surgeon to be able to identify the depth of fascia and correctly thread the sutures through thick layers of fat. The Abseal aims to alleviate this struggle by consistently targeting the fascia layers found in the abdominal wall post surgery.

I was involved midway in the project to translate the early working concept into an ergonomic and usable prototype. The function and dimensions were validated on pork belly cuts of various thicknesses before moving forward to a more evolved prototype for cadaver testing.

A pre-loaded applicator is used post surgery via abdominal ports. In a simple three stage process, the applicator is inserted into the port, the end is then driven downwards through the layers of the abdominal wall and lodging the two needle tips into the soft balloon at the end. Finally, the silicone balloon collapses and the needle tips along with the entire applicator can be removed leaving two sutures exposed with enough slack for the surgeon to easily tie, effectively closing the incision.