{"id":349931,"date":"2022-01-26T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=349931"},"modified":"2022-01-26T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T12:00:00","slug":"soluble-plasters-from-the-dutch-city-of-groningen-take-post-operative-care-a-step-further","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/soluble-plasters-from-the-dutch-city-of-groningen-take-post-operative-care-a-step-further\/","title":{"rendered":"Soluble plasters from the Dutch city of Groningen take post-operative care a step further"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether it is for a surgical procedure or for post-operative care, medical technology is being used more and more in hospitals. Groningen-based Polyganics is also helping healthcare a step forward. The soluble brain plaster that the company brought onto the market has proved to be a great success. The company is currently working on a similar product, suitable for wound care in the liver and pancreas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nasal foams, brain plasters, nerve tubes: Polyganics<\/a> is a jack of all trades. The medical solutions that the company develops are diverse, but all of them have one important thing in common: they are made of materials that dissolve in the body. The brain plaster<\/a> is its most recently developed product and is used in hospitals throughout Europe. Its success meant that the company recently had to move to larger premises<\/a> on the Zerniketerrein in Groningen, where there is more room for the factory and laboratory. Polyganics is currently working on the next step: the development of a soluble plaster for the liver and pancreas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marleen Schoonen is Director of Corporate Communication & Corporate Initiatives at Polyganics. She talked to us about the brain plaster and other products Polyganics has launched on the market and what else we can expect to see from the company in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brain plaster is proving to be a huge success. How does it work exactly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“The patch, or plaster, is used after a neurosurgical procedure. This kind of procedure is done because the patient has a tumor in their head, for example. The skull is then opened up and the meninges are found underneath the skull. This is parchment-like and therefore cannot be completely stitched back together. You then end up with holes in the membrane which causes fluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid<\/em>, to leak out. Inflammation and swelling can subsequently occur. These can be life-threatening.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our patch is a product that you apply to the meninges to prevent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid and blood. The plaster stays in the body for some time and gradually dissolves. As a result, there is no need to have another operation to remove the product.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the product dissolves in the body. Is that really safe?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Some of our products are already being used in hospitals. This all took years of development work. The plasters must meet very strict safety requirements. For example, we check to make sure that no inflammatory reactions occur in the body as a consequence of using the product. I can say with my hand on my heart that the plaster really is completely safe.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any other products that are being used by hospitals?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“We originally started out by putting nasal foams onto the market. These foams are what helped make our company big. They are used all over the world in nasal surgeries. You can squeeze them and insert them into nasal passages. After a few days, the product dissolves and you can blow the foam out of your nose. The upside: you don’t have to remove all kinds of cotton wool which carries the risk of reopening wounds.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In addition to all that, we also make tubes that are used in cases of nerve damage. If an accident damages the nerve of your finger, then the nerves need to repair themselves. They have to grow back together. We have developed a tube that guides the nerve endings towards each other. This prevents the nerve ends from fraying. In fact, this latter phenomenon is what causes phantom pain.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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