Developed "injection bandages", Which accelerate blood clotting

Researchers have developed a prototype “injection bandage” that can stop internal bleeding in minutes. The new bandage is made partly of seaweed and, in addition to inhibiting bleeding, can also accelerate wound healing.

Standard practice for treating emergency wounds in the field – bandaging the wound with a piece of pół permeable, antibacterial fabric – virtually unchanged for generations. In addition, for internal bleeding such treatment does not help.

In recent years, researchers have developed new types of materialóin, whichóre can quickly stop the bleeding, if only a liquid thatóra acts like a sponge, but inhibiting internal bleeding remained a challenge.

As the researchers rightly pointed out, blood loss is a majorów is the leading cause of death on the battlefield, and current treatment technology can’t do much here. More serious injuries simply cannot be patched up with gauze and bandages. Therefore, solutions are needed thatóre will not only quickly stop bleeding, but also saturate the wound with an active healing agent.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a new technique thatóra can successfully replace those used for decadesów years of bandages. Instead of bandaging the wound externally, scientists have developed conceptual „bandages” injection, które can fill fresh wounds and prevent bleeding.

„Inective bandage” developed by the teamół scientistsów from Texas consists of a gelling agent derived from seaweedów and two-dimensional clay nanoparticles. Together, the ingredients form a so-called hydrogel – a highly absorbent, gelatinous substance with a very high water content, whichóra works surprisingly well as a wound dressing.

„Injectable hydrogels are promising materials for treating traumaów internally and bleeding, because these biomaterials can be inserted into the right place using minimally invasive methods” – wrote the researchers in a paper published on the „Acta Biomaterialia”.

Headóing ingredient „injectable bandages” is carrageenan – a type of polysaccharideów obtained from red hydrogelsóin whichóre widely used as a thickener in food products. Researchers in their earlier work found that hydrogels can be enhanced with nanosilicateów – small clay-based particles, whichóre improve the structure of the gel.

During testingów with hydrogel on the comórk in animal and human tissues, scientists have observed how their substance causes blood to clot in less than three minutes. In addition, the teamó³ noted róalso significantly improved tissue regeneration, which affected faster wound healing in próbce of laboratory. Moreover, the nanoparticles used to create the hydrogel can róalso deliver drugs to the wound site slowly releasing them into the body as needed.

So far, the team of scientists’ hydrogelóIn Texas, it has not been tested on „live”, human wounds, but its potential means it’s only a matter of time before doctors can add this „injection banding” into its arsenal of.