SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) – Researchers on the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a powder-based hemostatic agent that may stop heavy bleeding inside roughly one second of contact. The know-how is designed to enhance the survival charges of troopers in fight environments the place extreme blood loss is the main reason for dying.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) introduced on December 29 {that a} joint analysis team led by Professor Steve Park from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Jeon Sang-yong from the Department of Biological Sciences created the fabric. The mission included the participation of an active-duty South Korean Army main to make sure the know-how meets the sensible calls for of the battlefield.
Traditional hemostatic brokers usually come within the type of patches, that are troublesome to apply to deep or irregularly formed wounds. These patches may also lose effectiveness in high-temperature or humid environments. To overcome these limitations, the KAIST team developed a powder that may be sprinkled instantly into any wound form, immediately forming a powerful bodily barrier.
The new materials, named AGCL powder, is comprised of pure substances together with alginate, gellan gum, and chitosan. When the powder touches blood, it reacts with calcium ions naturally current within the physique. This response causes the powder to flip right into a strong hydrogel in about one second, sealing the wound. Chitosan additional strengthens this seal by binding with blood elements.
The AGCL powder can take up blood weighing greater than seven instances its personal weight. In testing, it demonstrated a sealing strain of over 40 kilopascals, which is powerful sufficient to face up to heavy, high-pressure bleeding even when exterior strain is utilized by hand. This efficiency considerably exceeds that of present industrial merchandise.
Animal testing confirmed that the powder is secure and promotes therapeutic. It resulted in a hemolysis fee of lower than 3 p.c and a cell survival fee of over 99 p.c, whereas additionally offering 99.9 p.c antibacterial safety. In liver surgical procedure experiments, the powder diminished blood loss and shortened bleeding time in contrast to present medical merchandise, with liver features returning to regular inside two weeks.
The powder stays secure for 2 years even when saved at room temperature in excessive humidity. This sturdiness makes it appropriate to be used in fight zones, catastrophe areas, or areas with restricted medical infrastructure. While developed for army use, the researchers famous the know-how may be utilized to civilian emergency medication and surgical procedures.
“The core of modern warfare is minimizing the loss of life,” mentioned Park Kyu-soon, a doctoral pupil at KAIST and a significant within the South Korean Army who served as the primary writer of the examine. “I started this research with a sense of mission to save even one more soldier. I hope this technology will be used to save lives in both national defense and civilian medical fields.”
The analysis was supported by KAIST and obtained the Minister of National Defense Award on the 2024 KAIST-KNDU Defense Academic Conference.
(Paper data)
Journal: Advanced Functional Materials (affect issue 19.0) Title: An Ionic Gelation Powder for Ultrafast Hemostasis and Accelerated Wound Healing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202523910
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