George Klein, a talented engineer, began working at the NRC in the 1930s, becoming one of its star innovators. His suturing system (910444–910456) for reconnecting arteries is particularly clever. Prior to his invention, surgeons had to sew arteries together, some as small as one millimetre. This was a tedious, highly skilled procedure that too often ended in failure, as the pressure of blood flowing through the arteries could make the stitches pull out, causing internal bleeding in the patient.
Klein’s suturing system for reconnecting arteries was faster and more effective than needle and thread. (Courtesy Mozhgan Kermanshahy)
Klein developed a system that included tools to measure the size of the arteries to be reconnected, clamps to be used during insertion, and sets of tiny collets and staples to hold everything together. His suturing system allowed carefully designed and machined stainless steel collets to be placed around the two ends of the artery to be re-attached. Each end was then rolled back over the collets and the collets brought together to force tiny staples through and to attach the two ends of the artery. The collets were then removed, leaving the artery permanently stapled. A procedure that had taken several minutes at best, and with no certainty of success, could now be completed using Klein’s system, with a few quick movements and virtually 100 percent success.
