Non-Stick Bandage

In the quest for a coating that will keep blood from adhering to medical devices, researchers recently stumbled across a new type of bandage material – one that not only detaches more easily, but also promotes quicker clotting.

The new material is a superhydrophobic mixture of carbon nanofibers and silicone. When sprayed onto conventional cotton gauze, the bandage stays dry, making it easier to pull off of the wound without reopening it. What researchers did not expect, however, is that the mixture also enhanced the production of fibrins – mesh-like proteins that form at the surface of a wound to aid blood clotting. This characteristic seems to be directly related to the nanofiber structure, since reducing the nanofiber content reduces fibrin production, but further study is needed to fully understand the mechanism.

In addition to the new material’s use as a wound dressing in trauma situations, the developers are looking at hemostasis applications – for example, to seal blood vessels during a surgical procedure. The team has filed a patent for the technology.