"Medical pistol" generates alternative skin [A scientific breakthrough]

Doctors in Europe and Israel have begun using a medical gun that spins out a protective web to cover burns and wounds, hoping the breathable “skin substitute” will help patients recover without the need for painful bandage changes.

The Israeli company Nanomedic, which designed the SpinCare device, claims that its device gives patients increased mobility – often essential for burn rehabilitation – and the ability to shower, a process that can be difficult with traditional bandages.  The translucent layer it produces allows medics to examine the wound without touching it, the firm says.

The company says the transparent layer it produces allows paramedics to examine the wound without touching it.

Rob Lyon, managing director of Nanomedic in Britain, said burns could be extremely difficult to dress, making the application of bandages agonizing.

"The protective leather mesh formed by the gun mimics the normal skin, allowing patients to move more easily."

Electrical yarn, the technique used by the device, includes the use of electricity to create nanofibers from a solution, and has been used for years including in the medical field.

Nanomedic says its device is much smaller than the large electric spinning machines previously available, which means it can be carried alongside the patient's bed.

Hospitals in Germany and Switzerland have used the product for facial wounds where large bandages can be a burden, said Gary J. Sagiv, vice president of marketing and sales, noting that others have applied it to diabetic wounds, who can develop chronic foot ulcers that can lead to amputation.

According to the specialist in the treatment of burns and scars at The Queen Victoria Hospital in Sussex, British Baljit Dheansa , the yellowish and skin-like layer generated by the device has been very effective with superficial burns, and the laser pointer helps the doctor to aim at areas most in need of repair.

With deep burns, it was less effective, he said, but clarified that Nanomedic had not claimed Spincare would be useful for deep burns.