Modified technology from the wine industry could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives every year.

New Zealand researchers are developing a medical device in the hopes of preventing about 1.5 million deaths annually caused by surgical complications.

Auckland University's Surgical and Translational Research Centre director and professor John Windsor says there's no easy way of measuring oxidative stress; a feature common in many diseases.

But he says pilot clinical studies show this technology enables it to be accurately measured at the patient's bedside.

Windsor says the challenge is now making the equipment easy to use.

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