Endoscopic suturing techniques

the actual, so the needle is a commercial needle surgeons use as well.

Exactly.

It's a special thread.

Exactly.

It's a special thread.

It's called a barbed thread.

That means the thread has very, very small, tiny barbs that go only one direction, which means if you pull the thread down, through the tissue in one direction, it will move.

But if you pull it in the wrong direction of the barbs, it will not move.

That means when the thread passes through the tissue, it closes the tissue and doesn't slip back.

Which is also a surgical...

Exactly.

Exactly right.

So when developing and introducing this needle and these barbs into clinical practice, we had a lot of discussions also with surgeons who are more experienced with needles, needle forms, needle shapes, threads, barbed sutures.

And this was very inspiring also for us as endoscopists.

And what's the special feature to be used in endoscopy? It's the

forceps.

Exactly.

You're absolutely correct.

So in order to move the needle, you need a holder.

You need a needle holder.

So something the surgeons would usually do with a laparoscopic instrument, you have a special needle holder that passes through the working channel of the endoscope.

And then you can use this needle holder to grab the needle.

So this needle holder is specially produced for the needle.

So the needle, while the needle is not specially produced for this indication, the needle holder is specially produced for endoscopic hand suture.

And this is what we see on the first slide you brought.