PREVIEW

A revolutionary sticker may soon be instrumental in saving the lives of patients recovering from gastrointestinal surgery. The first-of-its-kind device is designed to detect the presence of leaking digestive fluids. When surgeons close up an incision in an organ such as the stomach, intestine or pancreas, there's always a risk that digestive fluids will start leaking out of the wound before it fully heals. When attached to an organ, the soft, tiny sticker changes in shape in response to the body’s changing pH levels which can serve as an early warning sign for post-surgery complications such as anastomotic leaks. Clinicians can then monitor the morphological changes in real-time using ultrasound technology. Currently, no existing methods can reliably and non-invasively detect anastomotic leaks. After the patient's complete recovery, the biocompatible and bioresorbable sticker dissolves on its own, eliminating the need for surgical removal. The research was a collaboration between Northwestern University and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.