The Band-Aid of The Future

A new technology known as VetiGel could transform how medical professionals treat wounds and address situations involving serious bleeding. The product was developed by Joe Landolina, founder and CEO of Suneris, the company now preparing the technology for the open market.

According to Bloomberg News, the new technology could be a game changer when it comes to wound healing, and is said to be able to stop severe bleeding in as little as 20 seconds. The gel-like substance is a plant-based polymer, similar to existing gel technologies already on the market. However, most gels currently available can take up to 10 minutes to stop severe bleeding, which could make VetiGel a remarkable alternative.

The technology works on both skin and organ tissue by binding with blood and tissue components before duplicating their structure. According to the VetiGel website, the technology is able to reassemble onto a wound site, enabling the product to mimic the body's extracellular matrix and accelerate the production of fibrin, which subsequently enables the body to clot rapidly.

Essentially the technology utilizes the natural polymers to work with the body's natural cell clotting and accelerating hemostasis. VetiGel was designed to be applied directly to the bleeding site, removing any need for manual pressure to be applied to the wound during treatment.

Landolina's development is one of several recent attempts to improve the practice of bandaging wounds. Last year the FDA approved two products that utilize water soluble polymers to improve the treatment of wounds. However, VetiGel is the first of its kind to address the issue of severe bleeding, and could save lives with its ability to stop severe bleeding in a matter of seconds.

Landolina hopes that his invention will soon be available for regular use on human patients, as his company eyes applications in the field for the U.S. military, as well as eventually in ambulances across the country. The technology could go a long way in treating injuries as they happen, preventing wounds from bleeding out before further medical treatment can be provided to wounded patients.

The technology was actually developed by Landolina when he was just a freshman at New York University. Now, as a graduate from NYU's Polytechnic Institute, Landolina is entrenched in the process of making the technology ready for the market as soon as possible. He believes the gel can be transformative because of its simplicity and ease of application. First responders can simply apply the VetiGel from an applicator stocked in any medical supply kit, enabling them to potentially stop severe bleeding within seconds.

While the technology is still undergoing trials, it has been approved for use on animals, as Suneris begins to make the technology readily available in veterinary clinics across the country. As the group continues to collect data on its effectiveness on animals, they will continue to monitor the progress of the technology before moving to human trials.

For now, the goal remains the same. Developing a product that is easy enough to use by essentially anyone, from first responders and EMT's arriving at the scene of an accident, to parents and babysitters dressing wounds in the home. If the technology lives up to the hype, VetiGel truly could become the band-aid of the future.

Kristopher Sturgis is a contributor to Qmed and MPMN.

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