Scientists have developed a spray foam that can be injected into a
wounded soldier's abdominal cavity to help stop internal bleeding.
When soldiers are wounded on the battlefield, getting them to advanced-level treatment facilities within the first 60 minutes of injury often makes the difference between life and death.
The spray foam developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) can be used to stop internal bleeding, particularly in the abdominal cavity which is life threatening because there is little that can be done to stop the bleeding, Discovery News reported.
DARPA is hoping that their new foam can help the wounded survive until they get to treatment facilities.
The polyurethane polymer foam is designed by Arsenal Medical as part of DARPA's Wounded Stasis Program and it can be injected by a field medic in two liquid phases, a polyol phase and an isocyanate phase. When the liquids mix, they expand to 30 times their original volume.
As it expands, the foam fills the abdominal cavity and conforms to the surface of the injured tissue and organs. The foam then hardens, providing resistance to intra-abdominal blood loss.
DARPA claimed the foam could even expand through pooled and clotted blood.
Researchers found that removal of the foam took less than one minute after an incision by a surgeon. Only minimal amounts of the foam remained in the abdominal cavity and no significant amount of tissue stuck to the foam.
Although no human tests have been conducted yet, tests on swine
showed that the foam raised survival rates for liver injuries after
three hours from eight to 72 percent and reduced blood loss by six fold.
When soldiers are wounded on the battlefield, getting them to advanced-level treatment facilities within the first 60 minutes of injury often makes the difference between life and death.
The spray foam developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) can be used to stop internal bleeding, particularly in the abdominal cavity which is life threatening because there is little that can be done to stop the bleeding, Discovery News reported.
DARPA is hoping that their new foam can help the wounded survive until they get to treatment facilities.
The polyurethane polymer foam is designed by Arsenal Medical as part of DARPA's Wounded Stasis Program and it can be injected by a field medic in two liquid phases, a polyol phase and an isocyanate phase. When the liquids mix, they expand to 30 times their original volume.
As it expands, the foam fills the abdominal cavity and conforms to the surface of the injured tissue and organs. The foam then hardens, providing resistance to intra-abdominal blood loss.
DARPA claimed the foam could even expand through pooled and clotted blood.
Researchers found that removal of the foam took less than one minute after an incision by a surgeon. Only minimal amounts of the foam remained in the abdominal cavity and no significant amount of tissue stuck to the foam.
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