The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a futuristic gel for human use that can stop severe bleeding after life-threatening injuries such as deep cuts or gunshot wounds.
As Reuters According to reports, the invention could represent a major advancement and provide first responders with a way to treat serious wounds in a matter of seconds.
The gel, called Traumagel, was developed by Cresilon, a medical device company based in Brooklyn.
“This applies to stab wounds, gunshot wounds, car accidents – basically anywhere where this product stands between a patient and death,” said Cresilon CEO Joe Landolina Reuters.
With current methods that use tourniquets, gauze or chemicals, it can take a relatively long time to stop the bleeding. With trauma gel, however, a life-threatening injury can be effectively treated within seconds, according to Landolina.
The product Traumagel, which is derived from algae, is available ready-to-use in a syringe and is easy to apply.
Landolina told Reuters The product will be commercially available in late 2024 and is intended to be used by medics and combat medics in the field.
“Ninety-one percent of battlefield deaths are related to what we call preventable bleeding. This means that countless lives could be saved if only there was a better product to stop bleeding,” he said. Reuters.
The company’s documentation states that the gel is a temporary bandage, but the short time a person covers a wound with trauma gel could give them enough time to get to the emergency room and have the wound permanently sealed.
And when it comes to life and death, that is enough.
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