Microneedle Bandage Stops Blood Loss

New Microneedle Patch Could Save Lives by Stopping Blood Loss Amir Sheikhi, assistant professor of chemical engineering and biomedical engineering at Penn State, has developed a new microneedle patch that can immediately stop bleeding following injury. Sheikhi presented the prototype of the study in a new article to be published in the May issue of Bioactive Materials. Sheikhi stated, "Excessive bleeding is a serious problem for human health. In hemorrhagic injuries, it is typically not the injury itself but blood loss that causes death. There is an unmet medical need for ready-to-use biomaterials that support rapid blood clotting." The developed hemostatic microneedle technology can be applied like a conventional adhesive bandage to rapidly stop bleeding. The arrays of biocompatible and biodegradable microneedles (MNAs) on the patch increase surface contact with blood and accelerate the clotting process. The needles also enhance the adhesive properties of the patch through mechanical interlocking to support wound closure. Sheikhi stated, "In vitro, the designed MNAs reduced clotting time from 11.5 minutes to 1.3 minutes and reduced bleeding by more than 90% in a mouse liver hemorrhage model. Those 10 minutes could be the difference between life and death." The MNA patch can be compared to hydrogel technology currently used in hospitals to treat bleeding wounds, but hydrogel applications require preparation and medical expertise. According to Sheikhi, the microneedle patch is pre-designed for immediate application and can be used by anyone to stop bleeding, functioning like a conventional over-the-counter adhesive bandage. According to Sheikhi, microneedles, already in use for delivering biological materials such as cells or drugs through the skin or for cosmetic procedures to stimulate collagen production, make applications painless. Researchers are planning to conduct further testing of the developed technology and are working to bring the patch from the laboratory to market. Sheikhi received financial support through a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and seed funding from Pennsylvania State University. Sheikhi began this work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles in the laboratory of Ali Khademhosseini, who is currently the CEO of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI). Other UCLA participants include Reihaneh Haghniaz, Hossein Montazerian, Avijit Baidya, Maryam Tavafoghi and Yi Chen. Han-Jun Kim, Yangzhi Zhu and Solmaz Karamikamkar, who previously worked at Khademhosseini Lab and are now affiliated with TIBI, also contributed. Academic reference: Reihaneh Haghniaz, Han-Jun Kim, Hossein Montazerian, Avijit Baidya, Maryam Tavafoghi, Yi Chen, Yangzhi Zhu, Solmaz Karamikamkar, Amir Sheikhi, Ali Khademhosseini. Tissue adhesive hemostatic microneedle arrays for rapid hemorrhage treatment. Bioactive Materials, 2023; 23: 314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.08.017 Source