UK surgeons and scientists are being encouraged to enter a global competition to discover new materials and techniques which could lead to cutting edge advances in wound closure.
The “Futures of Sutures” competition has been launched by B. Braun to mark the centenary of its introduction of the first, industrially manufactured sterile surgical sutures.
The Future of Sutures competition will attract entries from around 30 countries, both individuals and teams. It is hoped these will come from all areas of medicine and surgery as well as scientific and academic research and development Entries are now open for the national stage of the competition with prizes being awarded to the winner in each participating country. The deadline for UK entries is February 29, 2008 and all national winners will automatically qualify for the second international stage.
The overall winner will be announced next December and will receive prize money of 100,000 euros. Awards of 50,000 and 25,000 euros will go to the second and third placed entries. At both stages, the ideas will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges which will include representatives from competition patrons the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the German Surgical Society and the European Federation of Biotechnology.
Questions entrants may look at include: Does the world of nature hold any answers for the development of new suture materials? Are there “smart materials” that can “think” and adapt to their situation? Are knot-free sutures possible? Does a suture necessarily have to consist of two parts (metal needle, thread) and could surgeons forgo needles in wound closure entirely?
Idea drafts must submitted online by February 29, 2008 at http://www.sutures-bbraun.com
