The new device created by scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. Credit: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Key points:
- Scientists have designed a multifunctional device that combines hemorrhage treatment and monitoring capabilities.
- The device is based on silk fibroin, a protein produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm that has multiple medical properties.
- Tests showed the device could selectively monitor blood absorption against other bodily fluids.
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) have created a device that can treat deep, non-compressible and irregularly shaped wounds.
The device provides rapid hemorrhage management, has minimal inflammatory effects, and provides infection control. It also has tunable biodegradation rates, making it usable for both internal and external use, and features sensing capabilities for long-term hemorrhage monitoring. While there are many hemorrhage control products available today, they do not always meet the requirements of surgical wounds, traumatic injuries and critical illnesses.
According to the study published in Advanced Science, the TIBI team used silk fibroin, a protein produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm as the basis of the new device. Silk fibroin is a biodegradable material with anti-inflammatory and mechanical properties that can be engineered into porous, highly absorbent memory-shaped sponges. The sponges promote coagulation and tissue regeneration.
To design the new device, the researchers laid two silver nanowire layers above and below a hemostatic sponge layer. The nanowires function as hemorrhage detection sensors, as well as antibacterial agents.
The team then tested the new device and a commercial gelatin-based anti-hemorrhage device in rat models via below-the-skin implantation. The commercial sponge completely degraded after four weeks, while the silk fibroin nanowire device maintained its structure. In addition, the implanted sponge showed minimal inflammatory responses and posed no adverse effects on the organs and the behavior of the rats. Also, the silk fibroin device outperformed the commercial sponge in hemorrhage control tests, with a two-fold higher level of hemorrhage control in a rat bleeding model.
In addition to providing hemorrhage management, the device also includes a nanowire-based capacitive sensor for bleeding detection. During bleeding, the sponge absorbs the blood, which increases its capacitance without affecting its shape. The increase in capacitance is detectable and directly correlates to the amount of blood absorbed, thus providing a way to monitor bleeding in real-time. Tests showed the device could selectively monitor blood absorption against other bodily fluids it might encounter in the wound.