Background

Excessive bleeding complicates the healing process and results in high morbidity risk. Also, excessive bleeding limits the ability of the surgeon to operate effciently. Among the agents that control bleeding are hemostatic sponges which show excellent ability for blood absorption. Different forms of cross-linked gelatin were utilized to stop bleeding, where they absorb blood and expand to compress the wound site. Nevertheless, cross-linked gelatin exhibits poor wettability. To achieve effective hemostatic activity, rapid clotting action and complete fluid absorption, the cross-linked gelatin sponges must be pre-hydrated before their application in the wound. The pre‑wetting step can be troublesome, life threatening and time consuming given the limited time frame for controlling the hemorrhage in different critical situations.

Technology Overview

Chitosan exhibits excellent wettability and is a natural positively charged polymer. It exhibits excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial properties, and non-antigenicity. The combination of gelatin and chitosan introduces a hemostatic sponge with excellent wettability with enhanced hemostatic activity. The current invention provides a method for manufacturing a cross‑linked Gelatin/Chitosan foam without the need to add wetting agents, surfactants, or blowing agents through controlling the viscosity and the temperature of the solution mixture. Precise control over the temperature and the corresponding viscosity enabled trapping air bubbles thus forming a stable foam upon vigorous stirring at critical temperature and viscosity without the need to add surfactants. The prepared dry foam showed rapid and spontaneous blood/fluid absorption, rapid expansion, filling the wound site, and rapid clotting response. The intervention could be readily used without prior hydration or wetting (unlike Gel foam®, GELITA-SPON®, Cutanplust®). The new sponges show superior fluid absorption up to 60x their dry weight, which is higher than other commercial sponges.

Benefits

• High Blood Absorption Capability up to 60x the dry weight of the sponges
• Does not require pre-wetting
• Can be shaped into different sizes and shapes
• Accelerated hemostatic ability mediated by the sponge matrix
• Low-cost scalable manufacturing process

Applications

Hemostatic sponges are medical devices intended for immediate bleeding control. These novel Chitosan/Gelatin sponges are easily tailored and optimized to different sizes and shapes. The variable sizes and shapes can control dental, surgical,and nasal bleeding. They can be used for military purposes and home care.