A Gel That Stops Bleeding In Just 10 Seconds
If approved for marketing, this gel could stop many types of bleeding in less than a minute, which would be a breakthrough for the world of surgery
Joe Landolina was only 17 when he developed a gel that could stop bleeding in seconds. Five years after its discovery, said product, now under the Vetigel brand , will begin to be shipped to the United States.
Although initially it has only been tested on animals, its creator believes that it could be used in hospitals, battlefields, and even at home. For now, it only takes FDA approval to start human trials. What is it about?
Vetigel: a promising product to stop bleeding
A gel that stops bleeding? The product, called Vetigel , started as a project when Joe was just in his first semester of college. This idea was the winner of a contest held at New York University. Thanks to this, Landolina and Isaac Miller (his partner) received enough money to found their company, Suneris, Inc.
Today, Joe Landolina is ready to take the reins of his own company, equipped with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a company of 10 people.
Everything is in place to bring this product forward, which could be a key life-saving mechanism in emergency departments and makeshift trauma rooms (ICUs) around the world.
The gel has already been tested in veterinary clinics and there are currently about 1,600 more veterinarians waiting to obtain product samples for critical analysis.
What is Vetigel made of?
The gel that stops bleeding is made up of a plant-based analog of something called extracellular matrix (ECM). It is a mesh of proteins and sugars that are found around cells, which can vary from one organ to another.
The gel breaks down into small pieces, like Lego pieces, and when placed on a wound, it can rebuild the existing NDE pattern. In addition, it can also be beneficial if applied on the skin and on different areas of the body.
Vetigel “will make an exact copy of what is next to it,” that is, it will immediately adapt to the properties of the area of the body in which it is used. Also, according to Landolina, “as applied, the body begins the healing process.”
Vetigel samples will be initially tested by veterinary clinics, who will demonstrate its effectiveness in stopping bleeding in a matter of seconds.
Once this is verified, it is expected to pass the product to the military space of the United States, who will give the final approval before its launch to the market for human surgical use.
Landolina is optimistic and believes that Vetigel will be able to be approved on the market by the end of next year at the latest. This product can become a lifesaver in emergency rooms and surgical operations around the world.
Investigations continue …
Vetigel may stop bleeding during vascular surgery for grade 4 liver trauma. This surgery is very complex and, if complicated, can cause bleeding that is very difficult to stop.
With this powerful gel, surgeons could contain these types of bleeds in less than a minute, which would be key to successful surgery.
Having such a significant benefit as the ability to stop bleeding in seconds, Vetigel’s technology could also have other important applications in burn treatment, wound healing, and other therapies.
Research on its benefits is ongoing. Suneris continues to work on various studies related to the health benefits of Vetigel .
Its creators did not reveal what its price could be and the conditions of sale. But, if anything, it is quite an important finding in medicine. Possibly, in the future it will be key to saving many lives.