A group at the University of Tokyo has announced that it has succeeded in developing a substance that hardens quickly when it comes in contact with blood, and is aiming to apply it as a hemostatic agent to stop a large amount of bleeding.
Research groups such as Professor Takamasa Sakai of the University of Tokyo and doctors of vascular surgery have developed polymer compounds that have the property of rapidly solidifying when exposed to weakly alkaline liquids such as blood.
If you put this substance in a sponge together with water and apply it to a bleeding area, it will quickly solidify and cover the bleeding area, which has the effect of stopping bleeding.
In an experiment using animals, it was possible to stop bleeding from the vena cava in about 1 minute.
Many of the hemostatic agents currently used supplement the ability to clot by using the components contained in the blood, but the substance developed this time has a large amount of bleeding and it is difficult for the blood to clot. It is said that it may be effective even in situations where it was difficult to deal with until now.
Professor Sakai of the University of Tokyo said, "The use of this substance should make it relatively easy to deal with bleeding. It is safe and effective by the government in cooperation with companies so that it can be used as a hemostatic agent in medical and emergency settings. I would like to follow the examination procedure and aim for application. "