Covidien Unveils Proprietary Knotless Suture Device

Covidien plc has released the V-Loc knotless suturing device, a reload that works with the company’s proprietary Endo Stitch and SILS Stitch products for multi-port and single-port laparoscopic surgery. The V-Loc is designed to increase operating room efficiency during bariatric and other procedures.

“Bariatric surgery requires a significant amount of surgical stapling and suturing to ensure anastomotic closure,” noted Dana D. Portenier, M.D., assistant professor of Surgery, at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Bariatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the treatment of obesity. “The ability to suture internal tissue laparoscopically without the need to tie knots can help surgeons shorten one of the most labor-intensive tasks performed during bariatric surgery. As an early user of the Endo Stitch device with the V-Loc reload, I’ve been able to perform laparoscopic suturing with greater ease and efficiency than I previously could have using traditional devices that require knots.”

The V-Loc enables sutures to be completed without a tie-off, as the name implies. Together with its partner devices, the V-Loc combines automated needle-passing technology with knotless suturing to reduce in-body suturing times by 35-42 percent for surgeons, according to a 2011 pre-clinical study. Compared to conventional suturing, the proprietary Endo Stitch suturing device can save 45-70 percent of laparoscopic suturing time, clinical studies show.

The V-Loc features uni-directional barbs along the length of the thread, which hold the wound together without needing to be secured by a knot at the end. According to the company, this design also distributes tension evenly across the wound, accelerating its closure.

Noting that Covidien works closely with surgeons when developing devices, Paul Hermes said, “We believe that our new V-Loc knotless suturing reloads for minimally invasive surgery will help surgeons perform aspects of their procedures with greater efficiency. Covidien is committed to the advancement of bariatric surgery technology and offers a full portfolio of products and services to support bariatric surgeons, their practices and patients.”

Hermes serves as vice president and chief technology officer of Covidien Surgical Solutions.

Dublin, Ireland-based Covidien has its U.S. headquarters in Mansfield, Mass. Its three core product segments are medical devices, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.