Xstat Sponges Seal Gunshot Wounds in Seconds

Feb-07-14 Developed to quickly treat a gunshot wound, the pocket-sized XStat syringe injects small sponges into the wound to stop the bleeding in only fifteen seconds.

Created by the Oregon startup RevMedx, the Xstat was inspired by the Fix-a-Flat foam commonly used as an emergency method for filling flat tires. The sponges used by the device are made from wood pulp coated with chitosan, a biocompatible blood-clotting and antimicrobial substance derived from the shells of crustaceans. Once inserted into the wound, the sponges expand quickly to fill the cavity and stop heavy bleeding. Each sponge has also been equipped with an x-shaped marker that will make them easy to find on an x-ray image.

The company was awarded a seed grant last year from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a version of the device able to stop postpartum bleeding. They also hope to develop biodegradable sponges that don’t have to be removed from the body as well as an expanding gauze made from the same material that could be used to cover large injuries.

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[POPSCI.COM]
[REVMEDX]

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