Quick Hits: New Bandage Repels Blood and Promotes Clotting

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.