All the latest packaging trends for life sciences, all at PACK EXPO East
Explore new packaging solutions for life sciences, all in one convenient location at PACK EXPO East, March 18 – 20 in Philadelphia.

Quick Hits: New Bandage Repels Blood and Promotes Clotting

A scientist in Switzerland accidentally invented a new kind of bandage that stops bleeding without sticking to the wound.

There’s nothing worse than changing a bandage and ripping off a scab in the process. According to a recent ZME Science article, that horrible sensation could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new kind of bandage. A scientist at ETH University of Zurich was experimenting with superhydrophobic coatings for medical devices when he accidentally stumbled upon a new application: bandage coating.

Conventional cotton gauze bandages absorb blood and then dry, causing the wound to reopen when the bandage is changed. But bandages coated with the new material, a mix of silicone and carbon nanofibers, repel blood, promote clotting, and prevent infection. The liquid repelling properties prevent bacteria from adhering to the surface of a wound, preventing both infection and secondary bleeding. The product isn’t yet ready for market, but early tests on animals proved successful.

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