Revolutionary patch keeps brain safe after cranial surgery

If you’re ever unfortunate enough to require brain surgery, Israeli startup Nurami Medical has got you covered – literally. The Haifa-based company has developed a patch made of synthetic, biodegradable nanofibers meant to be affixed to the dura mater – the protective membrane underneath the skull that keeps the brain and spinal cord safe – after cranial neurosurgery.

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Brain surgery requires cutting through the dura, so a “bandage” of some sort must be placed to protect against bacteria, accelerate healing and keep cerebral spinal fluid from leaking. Nurami’s nanofiber patches mimic the dura mater in a way that’s safer and less expensive than the animal collagen-based products currently used for post-brain surgery recovery, the company’s CEO Hannoch Marksheid tells ISRAEL21c. Collagen, a structural protein that holds tissue together in all mammals, is what gives our skin strength and elasticity. Nurami’s proprietary synthetic patches based on copolymers (“macromolecules” composed of repeated subunits) are three to six times thinner than the animal collagen-based alternative and eliminate the risk of animal-derived contamination. Because Nurami’s patches are biodegradable, they won’t need to be removed from the brain. They simply dissolve into the body when the tissue has healed.-- More...

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