Our Research
Problem Statement
Over 180,000 traumatic deaths occur each year and uncontrollable hemorrhage (bleeding) is the leading cause of those deaths.
Hemorrhage is also the leading cause of death on the battlefield, with 90% of military deaths due to hemorrhage before medical care becomes available.
Thus, there is a great need for a product that reduces the likelihood of death by hemorrhage by inducing the coagulation cascade when applied on a wound.
Hypothesis
The application of a polymer hydrogel made of chitosanand alginate and loaded with zeolite to an open wound will significantly decrease time to clot without adversely affecting biocompatibility.
Proposed Solution
In the investigation of our hypothesis, we proposed utilizing the cross-linking properties of the polysaccharides alginate and chitosan, and loading this mixture with zeolite to form hydrogel particles.