Flexible sticker device detects postoperative gastrointestinal leaks

Editor's Note

A medical device developed by researchers at Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine could enable clinicians to monitor the health of a patient’s organs following surgery. The findings appeared in the journal Science on March 7. 

Patients who undergo gastrointestinal surgeries—including pancreatic surgery—can develop anastomotic leaks and sepsis that can lead to 6-month hospital stays or even death. Some 40-60% of pancreatic surgery patients have this leakage. Often, the leaks are not discovered until the patient is experiencing symptoms and is quite ill. 

The researchers created a small sticker that can be affixed to organ tissues that’s made of a flexible hydrogel material that has been embedded with tiny metal disks. The sticker swells in response to acidic fluids like stomach acid and contracts in response to caustic fluids such as pancreatic fluid, and this movement is detectable by ultrasound imaging. 

Essentially, the researchers are able to “tag” organs for monitoring post-surgery and because the stickers are made with bioresorbable materials they disappear harmlessly into the body. By using these stickers to catch leaks early, doctors could drain the fluid before it poses a problem, limiting hospital stays and dangerous complications. 

The device is still in prototype form. Researchers are developing the stickers in a variety of sizes and also designing similar devices to detect internal bleeding or changes in bodily pH.