# Release: New Bioactive Wound Dressing



## Zepp (Jan 12, 2005)

For those with an interest in emergency/combat medicine:

*Bioactive dressing surface has great potential for healing wounded soldiers, cops*

*URI professor, biotech business president develop new product*
KINGSTON, R.I -- January 4, 2005 -- A soldier suffers a life threatening wound at a remote location, miles from any medical assistance. No one can help him stop the bleeding or prevent the wound from becoming infected. At the same time, he needs to find cover fast, which is difficult as he tends to his wound.

A new wound dressing surface developed by a University of Rhode Island textile chemist and the president of a Massachusetts biomedical firm could be the solution for that soldier, as well as police officers, firefighters, hikers, rock climbers and emergency medical personnel.

Martin Bide, URI professor of textiles, fashion merchandising and design, and Matthew Phaneuf, president of BioSurfaces, Ashland, Mass., have invented a wound dressing surface based on polyester that combines infection resistance with enhanced blood-clotting properties.

We have this technology and we know it works, and were going to continue to refine it, but if there are companies, agencies or businesses interested in buying it, URI would be interested in talking about how that could be accomplished, said Bide, a resident of South Kingstown.

According to Bide and Phaneuf, a polyester material with polyurethane is inlayed into the structure to provide the properties of elasticity. The base material is modified chemically so that it provides anchor for protein attachment. After that step, the broad-spectrum antibiotic Cipro is incorporated into the polyester using textile dyeing technology, followed by the biologically-active agent thrombin, a pivotal enzyme in the clotting process.

The specific protein, thrombin, kicks off the bodys clotting mechanism, and while that is working, the antibiotic is moving into the wound to prevent infection, Phaneuf said.

The product allows an injured person or emergency medical worker to apply the bioactive surface simply by pulling this bioactive bandage out of a package and applying it to the wound site. The wound dressing surface frees the soldiers hands to deal with other life-and-death issues. Without the new dressing, the injured soldier or medics must apply direct pressure with their hands, apply clotting and anti-infection medications, and then attach a bandage. The new product developed by Bide and Phaneuf eliminates nearly all of these steps.

Bide has been collaborating with Phaneuf for the last 14 years. The partnership began when Phaneuf, who is also the assistant director of the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, mentioned to his wife, Tina, an obstacle he was facing in working with artificial arteries. Tina recommended that he speak with her former professor, Martin Bide, for some assistance.

Phaneuf and Bide clicked and the two used textile dyeing processes to enhance the impact of antibiotics in fighting infection in artificial arteries.

That collaboration led to their most recent work with wound dressing surfaces. In little bits and pieces over the past several years dating back to our original work, we have been working on infection prevention techniques, Phaneuf said.

We have now developed something that provides pressure to a wound and is bioactive, Phaneuf said.

Other bioactive agents could be added to a dressing to address other treatment issues, Bide said. We have a multi-use textile with a multifaceted surface. We found a successful way to attach these chemical groups without degrading the polyester.

Phaneuf said he and Bide have pushed forward because of each others strong interest in helping soldiers, firefighters, police officers and others in hazardous situations treat their wounds successfully.

*Original release can be found here.*


----------



## Corporal Hicks (Jan 12, 2005)

That sounds pretty smart, just got to refine it as they said!


----------



## 7starmantis (Jan 12, 2005)

They have actually been working on these for a while, there aer some out there in use now but they are quite expensive. Its more of a biological approach though, using parts from crusaceans for clotting purposes. I'll see if I can drum up some online info about them.

7sm


----------



## Tgace (Jan 12, 2005)

I had a thread on the stuff here...

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15707&highlight=combat+medicine


----------



## Zepp (Jan 13, 2005)

I knew there were already some other products like this in development, and at least one on the market.  But since this one works a bit differently than the others, I figured it was worth posting about.

Here's another one that they announced they were working on about a year ago: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040120033740.htm 

But so far, I believe QuickClot is the only one on the market.


----------



## OUMoose (Jan 13, 2005)

Zepp said:
			
		

> We have now developed something that provides pressure to a wound and is bioactive, Phaneuf said.


My question is how does this apply physical pressure?  A fancy "band-aid" of sorts provides no downforce, and only minimal tangential forces to hold the wound together, basically by the adhesive holding onto the skin.  Pressure could be applied by a more wrap type bandage, but that would take time to apply and cinch correctly.  Maybe I just missed it in the article, and if so, please point it out. 

Just curious.  Sounds like an excellent product, though.


----------



## Tgace (Jan 13, 2005)

It may be like some of the newer battle dressings. An elastic "Ace Bandage" type wrap with a pad.


----------



## Zepp (Jan 13, 2005)

I believe the point of this one is that you don't have to apply pressure to many wounds when you use this.



> ...a polyester material with polyurethane is inlayed into the structure to provide the properties of elasticity. The base material is modified chemically so that it provides anchor for protein attachment. After that step, the broad-spectrum antibiotic Cipro is incorporated into the polyester using textile dyeing technology, followed by the biologically-active agent thrombin, a pivotal enzyme in the clotting process.
> 
> The specific protein, thrombin, kicks off the bodys clotting mechanism, and while that is working, the antibiotic is moving into the wound to prevent infection, Phaneuf said.
> 
> The product allows an injured person or emergency medical worker to apply the bioactive surface simply by pulling this bioactive bandage out of a package and applying it to the wound site. The wound dressing surface frees the soldiers hands to deal with other life-and-death issues. Without the new dressing, the injured soldier or medics must apply direct pressure with their hands, apply clotting and anti-infection medications, and then attach a bandage.



Obviously, you'd still have to apply pressure to a gaping hole in someone's chest, but I think this is intended to stop bleeding from something like a single bullet wound without having to continuously apply pressure.  (I think...)


----------



## Corporal Hicks (Jan 13, 2005)

Zepp said:
			
		

> Obviously, you'd still have to apply pressure to a gaping hole in someone's chest, but I think this is intended to stop bleeding from something like a single bullet wound without having to continuously apply pressure. (I think...)


Yeah thats feasible. Though with those new kind of bullets around nowadays a bandage isnt going to help. I guess you guys have heard of the "Magic" (i think its called) bullet. Basically for those who dont know, the bullet is designed to enter your body at any part (depending on that it doesnt go all the way through i.e, you hand) and then instead or being a direct shot and staying in one place, it simply pentrates then zig zags around your body. For example, it enters your shoulder then bounces around mashing up your internal organs, its really not pleasant. 

With these type of bullet developed now, we are not going to need bandages but full kevlar body kits. I'm not having a go by the way Zepp I'm just pointing out, sorry!

Regards


----------



## Tgace (Jan 13, 2005)

Been a soldier, cop and SWAT officer for more years than I care to recall right now. Never seen any "magic bullet" of any kind. You may be thinking about the "tumble effect" stuff surrounding M16/M4 weapons and/or of .223 rounds. Such stories are more anecdotal than scientific by far.


----------



## Corporal Hicks (Jan 14, 2005)

Tgace said:
			
		

> Been a soldier, cop and SWAT officer for more years than I care to recall right now. Never seen any "magic bullet" of any kind. You may be thinking about the "tumble effect" stuff surrounding M16/M4 weapons and/or of .223 rounds. Such stories are more anecdotal than scientific by far.


Ah sorry! Looks like I've been a puppet of rumours. Still maybe one day!


----------



## Flamebearer (Jan 14, 2005)

_"I guess you guys have heard of the "Magic" (i think its called) bullet. Basically for those who dont know, the bullet is designed to enter your body at any part (depending on that it doesnt go all the way through i.e, you hand) and then instead or being a direct shot and staying in one place, it simply pentrates then zig zags around your body. For example, it enters your shoulder then bounces around mashing up your internal organs, its really not pleasant._ "


If such a bullet existed and entered your body with enough speed to bounce around doing damage, it would be much more likely to go straight through and out the other side (the skin isn't significantly tougher than, say, your heart) The last time I checked, the inside of my body wasn't coated with kevlar, just to keep high-speed bullets inside.

I think the bio-bandage thing is great, I also hear there's "liquid bandaid" for small cuts and stuff, I've never seen it though.

-Flamebearer


----------



## TonyM. (Jan 15, 2005)

The tumble effect story was created to quell the fear after soldiers heard stories of NVA taking 3and 4 rounds of 55 gr. .223 center mass and still running the shooter through with a bayonett. Many of us carried a personnal sidearm as a backup. Generally a .45 or a .357magnum.


----------



## Zepp (Jan 15, 2005)

Flamebearer said:
			
		

> I think the bio-bandage thing is great, I also hear there's "liquid bandaid" for small cuts and stuff, I've never seen it though.



I've seen some liquid bandage stuff in the first aid section of some major chain drug stores (Long's, Rite-aid, ect.).  But I've never used it, so I couldn't tell you much about it.  I would guess it's just a sterile latex-type substance with some antibiotic properties.

I've also heard of "liquid stitches" in use at some emergency rooms.


----------



## Tgace (Jan 15, 2005)

rock climbers have carried super glue on long climbs for years. you get a laceration on the rock, drop in a couple of drops....not medically approved of course.


----------



## Zepp (Jan 15, 2005)

Tgace said:
			
		

> rock climbers have carried super glue on long climbs for years. you get a laceration on the rock, drop in a couple of drops....not medically approved of course.



 Reminds me of something I once heard about duct tape being marketed in some places as "silver medical tape."


----------



## TonyM. (Jan 16, 2005)

Super glue was originally developed as liquid stitches. It was marketed as glue later.


----------

