In July of 2019, we shared exciting news out of Israel when a startup invented a mechanical contraption shaped like a toy gun that spins out a ‘skin substitute’ to cover and heal wounds. Today, we’re happy to share that the device has moved beyond the prototype phase, with doctors across Europe and Israel now using the medical gun to help patients recover without the need for painful bandage changes.

Dubbed the Skincare system, the device uses a technique called electrospinning in which electricity is used to create nano-fibers from a solution. Those nano-fibers form a translucent polymer material that is then fired off from the device onto the wound, acting like new skin. The Guardian describes the Spincare system as a “Spider-man-style medical gun” for the way it spews out the skin substitute.

According to Nanomedic, the startup behind the device, the device gives patients increased mobility and allows patients to do things such as shower, a process that can be challenging with traditional bandages.

Thus far, hospitals in Germany and Switzerland are using the device to treat facial wounds, in which large bandages could be burdensome. Elsewhere, the device is being applied to wounds on people with diabetes, who can apparently develop chronic foot sores that can lead to amputation.

At the Optimist Daily, we always enjoy sharing news of newly invented devices that can revolutionize a field, but we find it even more exciting when those devices make their way into the real world. The Spincare system is a golden example of this.