Suturing is a mundane part of surgical procedures, and it can be slow and frustrating. Yet, while there have been some advances in suturing technology, the basic process remains the same. Mellon Medical, a Dutch firm, has unveiled a new suturing device that requires only one hand to operate and that may end up saving a lot of time in the OR.
The Switch device can suture both tubular structures such as blood vessels and layered tissues like the skin, and should eventually be available in many sizes for different applications. 
The intial device is an 8cm model that is indicated for carotid artery surgery, kidney transplants, and peripheral bypass procedures.
It looks like a pair of tweezers, but in between the tips there’s a small needle with an attached suture. As the tweezers are squeezed together, the needle is passed from one tip to the other. Squeezing them again passes the needle right back. The needle is always guaranteed to be held by one of the two tips and moves back and forth in a linear direction. This is done repeatedly through the tissue as much as needed without having to focus one’s dexterity on grabbing the suture and passing it to the other hand on every go around.
Here’s a Mellon Medical company video introducing the Switch:
Product page: Switch…
Via: Mellon Medical…
