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Israeli Startup Develops Life-Saving Bandage that Aids Clotting

The cloud of war constantly hanging over Israel has one silver lining: groundbreaking advances in wound care, developed for the battlefield and then shared with the rest of humanity.

WoundClot gauze, a flexible and easy-to-handle material made of highly-absorbent regenerated cellulose (plant cells), was originally designed with soldiers in mind but now has much broader potential. WoundClot absorbs about 2,500 percent of its own weight in fluids, and forms a coagulating gel membrane with platelets from the blood on the open wound. By absorbing blood and enhancing the natural clotting process, this unique gauze stops hemorrhaging within minutes and naturally dissolves within 24 hours—no need for painful removal.

WoundClot has an obvious place in battle settings, because uncontrolled bleeding is the main cause of death in conflict zones. But it also provides a widely applicable solution when compression is not effective or even counterproductive, such as with stab wounds.

The technology was developed at Ben-Gurion University by chemist Shani Eliyahu-Gross and commercialized by Core Scientific Creations, founded in 2012 in Kfar Saba by private angel investors. Eliyahu-Gross is chief scientific officer and senior vice president of the company.

“What is unique about WoundClot is its bio-absorbability and its ability to withhold severe bleeding,” Core Scientific Creations CEO Yuval Yaskil told ISRAEL21c. “We managed to create a ‘DNA clock’ that breaks down the product when we want it to and not because of saturation. Also, it is the only product of its kind we know of in the world today that doesn’t use compression.”

Manufactured in Petah Tikva, the current WoundClot line includes products geared to surgical and trauma care, used in European hospitals and by American and Israeli first responders. A WoundClot version for dental use was recently released in the European market. Deals with several companies in the Far East are in the works.

The product could also become a staple of the home medicine cabinet. Because WoundClot can be folded or rolled into any shape, it can be applied to uneven surfaces like the nose.

“We are not trying to be a startup that sells out after a couple of years,” Yaskil explained. “We are looking for strategic investments and we are in communication with companies that would sell our product and invest in our company so we can increase our manufacturing capacity.”

[Photo: wiseGEEK ]