Discover Magazine is reporting on a new circumcision device invented by Dr David Tomlinson and developed into a product with the help of Brown University and Clinical Innovations out of Murray, Utah.
The most popular device in the United States, preferred by 67 percent of physicians, is the Gomco clamp, whose parts come in different sizes to match varying penile diameters; mismatched clamp components increase the risk of laceration. Both the Gomco and the competing Plastibell—used by 19 percent of physicians in the United States—require the insertion of a shield beneath the foreskin to protect the underlying glans from the scalpel; to slide the shield in, doctors first make a slit in the foreskin with scissors, increasing the risk of cutting the urethra as well.
The plastic AccuCirc avoids these problems. A probe is inserted beneath the foreskin, shielding the glans without the need for an incision. The attached clamp, which can be activated only if the shield is in position, is then placed over the probe. When the lever is depressed, it crushes the foreskin, sealing blood vessels and preventing bleeding, while a circular steel blade excises the foreskin in one action. When the clamp is released and removed, the foreskin is withdrawn with the holder in the probe. The device cannot be reused, preventing the spread of HIV.
More from Discover Magazine…
Clinical Innovations website (no info about the device yet)….