Product said to stop internal bleeding in minutes
One of the scariest things about gunshot wounds or other puncture injuries is the damage you can’t see—the internal injuries a person sustains.
Thanks to Texas A&M researchers, healthcare professionals may soon be able to help patients with such injuries within minutes.
A team of biomedical engineers have invented an ‘injectable bandage’ out of common food ingredients and nanoparticles that not only staunches bleeding quickly, it helps wounds to heal faster.
Scientists have come up with similar products in recent years, including a sponge-filled syringe—but this new bandage is able to penetrate deeper into the body. It’s comprised of a seaweed-derived gelling agent and two-dimensional clay nanoparticles.
Together, these unlikely ingredients form what’s known as a hydrogel – highly absorbent, jelly-like substance with a super-high water content that can work remarkably well as wound dressing.
“Injectable hydrogels are promising materials for [..] internal injuries and bleeding, as these biomaterials can be introduced into a wound site using minimally invasive approaches,” researchers wrote.
