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The leading
cause of death due to injuries in war is excessive bleeding. A KAIST research
team, in which an Army Major participated, has tackled this issue head-on. By
developing a next-generation powder-type hemostatic agent that stops bleeding
just by spraying it, they have presented an innovative technology that will
change the paradigm of combatant survivability.
A joint research team led by Professor Steve Park from
the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Sangyong Jon
from the Department of Biological Sciences has developed a powder-type
hemostatic agent that forms a
powerful hydrogel barrier within approximately one second when sprayed on a
wound.
The research was published in Advanced Functional Materials.
This technology reached a high level of perfection as
a practical technology considering real combat environments, with an Army Major
researcher directly participating in the study. By implementing characteristics
that allow instant hardening even under extreme conditions such as combat and
disaster sites due to high usability and storage stability, immediate emergency
treatment is possible.
Until now, patch-type hemostatic agents widely used in medical fields have had limitations in application to deep and complex wounds due to their flat structure, and were sensitive to temperature and humidity, posing limits on storage and operation.
AGCL powder
development strategy and fabrication schematin/ Gelation speed and blood
absorption capacity of AGCL powder . Credit: Advanced Functional Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523910
Accordingly,
the research team developed a next-generation hemostatic agent in powder form
that can be freely applied even to deep, large, and irregular wounds. They have
secured versatility to respond to various types of wounds with a single powder.
Existing powder hemostatic agents had limits on
hemostatic capability as they functioned by physically absorbing blood to form
a barrier. To solve this problem, the research team focused on the ionic
reactions within the blood.
The "AGCL powder" developed this time has a
structure that combines biocompatible natural materials such as Alginate and
Gellan Gum (which react with calcium for ultra-fast gelation and physical
sealing) and Chitosan (which bonds with blood components to enhance chemical
and biological hemostasis). It reacts with cations such as calcium in the blood
to turn into a gel state in one second, instantly sealing the wound.
Furthermore, by forming a three-dimensional structure
inside the powder, it can absorb blood amounting to more than seven times its
own weight (725%). Due to this, it quickly blocks blood flow even in
high-pressure and excessive bleeding situations, and showed superior sealing
performance compared to commercial hemostatic agents with a high adhesive
strength of over "40kPa," a level of pressure that can withstand
being pressed strongly by hand.
Validation of
efficacy in wounds through animal experiments / Validation of efficacy in
a liver surgery model. Credit: Advanced Functional Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523910
AGCL powder is
composed entirely of naturally derived materials, showing a hemolysis rate of
less than 3%, a cell viability rate of over 99%, and an antibacterial effect of
99.9%, making it safe even when in contact with blood. In animal experiments,
excellent tissue regeneration effects such as rapid wound recovery and
promotion of blood vessel and collagen regeneration were confirmed.
In surgical liver injury experiments, the amount of
bleeding and hemostasis time were significantly reduced compared to commercial
hemostatic agents, and liver function recovered to normal levels two weeks
after surgery. No abnormal findings were observed in systemic toxicity
evaluations.
In particular, this hemostatic agent maintains its
performance for two years even in room temperature and high humidity
environments, possessing the advantage of being ready for immediate use in
harsh environments such as military operation sites or disaster areas.
Although this research is an advanced new material
technology developed with national defense purposes in mind, it has great
potential for application throughout emergency medicine, including disaster
sites, developing countries, and medically underserved areas.
It is evaluated as a representative spin-off case
where national defense science and technology expanded to the private sector,
as it is capable of everything from emergency treatment on the battlefield to
internal surgical hemostasis.
Ph.D candidate Kyusoon Park (Army Major), who
participated in the research, stated, "The core of modern warfare is
minimizing the loss of human life," and added, "I started the
research with a sense of mission to save even one more soldier."
He continued, "I hope this technology will be used as a life-saving technology in both national defense and private medical fields."
Provided by The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST)
Source: New sprayable powder forms instant gel barrier to stop severe bleeding in seconds
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