Abigail Klein Leichman
March 2, 2021

Electrospinning may sound like something to do with disco music, workouts or pop art. Actually, it’s an electrostatically charged method to produce nanofibers for items such as layered filters.

The Israeli startup Nanomedic is using this technology to revolutionize wound care.

Nanomedic’s Spincare device – resembling a large staple gun – charges up a proprietary polymer from a disposable ampule and sprays it directly on the wound as a protective, flexible second skin.

“Wherever the patient is, we can print our electrospun healing fiber matrix directly on the wound. That has a lot of advantages to enhance the healing process,” says Nanomedic CEO Chen Barak, who has a PhD in biomedical engineering and years of experience in electrospinning technology.

“You apply it once so there is no dressing change needed. Patients can take regular showers after 24 to 48 hours. And when the skin underneath is healed, our layer peels off on its own,” Barak tells ISRAEL21c.

No dressing changes and not touching the patient means less pain, especially for burn victims. The matrix is applied from about 20 centimeters (8 inches) away and adheres completely to any wound regardless of its shape or size.

“This is very efficient even on faces, hands and moving parts of the body, and allows free movement unlike many kinds of dressings,” says Barak.

The electrospun fiber used in Spincare bio-mimics the structure of skin tissue, thus accelerating healing and reducing scarring.

Another big advantage is that healthcare professionals can assess the healing process without removing a bandage because the matrix becomes transparent after it is applied.

Dr. Alexandra Schulz, a plastic surgeon in Cologne, Germany’s Clinic for Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, says SpinCare “addresses the individual needs of our patients by providing them a maximum of mobility and comfort during their healing period. It fits perfectly each individual wound size and surface and can be applied easily by health care professionals.”

Furthermore, says Schulz, “this dressing provides an ideal environment for wound healing in superficial to partial thickness wound depth. To my mind, Spincare is a modern solution for wound treatment.”

A new approach in wound care

Barak explains that the Nanomedic device was first conceptualized by her team about seven years ago. The company was officially founded only in 2018.

“Electrospinning machines are big and highly sophisticated. To use them for wound care, we needed to miniaturize the technology, which hasn’t been done before.”

The unique handheld device can therefore be used not only in hospitals but also on the scene of emergencies. It can be stored on ambulances and in public buildings.

“This is a completely new innovative product for wound care,” says Barak. “The market is full of dressings, but our device is the only one that manufactures the matrix directly on the wound, covering and protecting it during the healing process.”

Even severe and complicated wounds need just one application.

Developed and manufactured in Lod, the Tel Aviv suburb where Ben-Gurion International Airport is located, Spincare recently launched in Europe.

“We are submitting an FDA proposal, and hope to launch in the United States in the second half of this year after receiving FDA clearance,” says Barak.

Meanwhile, Nanomedic is continuing clinical trials and recently announced that Spincare will be used at Rambam Health Care Campus, a 1,000-bed hospital serving northern Israel.

“Nanomedic’s Spincare system has many advantages, including protection against infection from contaminating bacteria and properties that allow it to optimally adhere to the injury in a way that regular dressings cannot,” said Prof. Yehuda Ullmann, chair of Rambam’s surgical department and director of its plastic surgery department.

“The biggest benefit for patients is the avoidance of the pain often incurred from changing bandages, especially when treating children.”

Barak points out that the same platform could be used in many ways, such as aesthetics and cosmetics, dermatology and surgery.

“We can put additives in the ampule like antibacterial agents, collagen or silicone,” she says.

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