Next generation pressure spinning technology for surgical suture manufacturing
Esra Altun, Angelo Delbusso, Mohan Edirisinghe
Abstract
This study presents a next generation pressure spinning device designed to overcome limitations of the traditional setup for manufacturing fibrous surgical sutures. The engineered device provides enhanced control over environmental parameters, including temperature and humidity, alongside adjustable spinning speeds, variable fibre collection distances, and optimised airflow management. These advancements collectively improve production efficiency, reduce material waste, and promote eco-friendly manufacturing. A preliminary investigation was conducted to produce poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibrous sutures at collection distances ranging from 50 mm to 200 mm, with their properties benchmarked against those obtained from the traditional setup. The advanced device demonstrated a 24 % increase in production yield, improved fibre production rate, and enabled precise control of fibre properties under lab scale conditions. Such capabilities facilitate the development of patient-specific sutures tailored to clinical requirements for tensile strength and flexibility. Furthermore, the integration of advanced process controls and environmental modulation supports the potential for sustainable, cost-effective large scale manufacturing of high quality sutures. These findings highlight the potential of this next generation pressure spinning device to enable rapid, mass production of advanced, personalised smart sutures, thereby contributing to improved patient outcomes and driving innovation in global healthcare.