(Newswire.net — June 23, 2015) — One of the major causes of death after any type rof accident is losing too much blood before medical help arrives. Thanks to the ingenious invention of a young man, it is allegedly possible to stop bleeding instantly, preserving the vitality of organs until help arrives, the Business Insider reported.
According to its inventor, VetiGel is an algae-based polymer in the form of a gel. Twenty two year old Joe Landolina, invented this gel when he was just 17, but the product needs to be tested thoroughly before tests on humans will be allowed. However, the version for animals is approved for testing and the first shipment is ready to be delivered to veterinarians across the US.
Vetigel is easy to work with, which makes it suitable for people with no medical training. The gel can be applied to an open wound from the syringe, closing it within seconds. Upon injection, a gel forms a clot within 12 seconds, and permanently heals the wound within minutes, according the inventor, who is now the CEO and cofounder of Suneris biotech Company.
“The fastest piece of equipment we have measures every 12 seconds,” Landolina tells Business Insider. “So we know that it happens in less than 12 seconds,”
The science behind this invention is actually very basic, according to Landolina. An algae, that is made of tiny individual polymers, could be easily broken “kind of like Lego blocks,” and put into a gel that can easily be applied to a wound. Upon its contact with the damaged tissue, gel immediately forms a fill, a mesh-like structure that clutches the openings leaking the blood.
“What that means, on the one hand, is that the gel will make a very strong adhesive that holds the wound together,” Landolina says.
According to Landolina, that mesh acts as a scaffold to help the body produce fibrin at the wound’s surface, which helps repair the tissue over time.
Besides closing the wound, Fibrin allows VetiGel to actually heal the skin, Landolina told the Business Insider, adding that the gel can be safely removed within minutes of application.
Landolina was still in the highschool when he invented the first version of the gel. He and his friend Isaac Miller, now cofounder of the business applied to a university business project competition, while they were freshman at the New York University. They took second place.
Over the next four and a half years, Landolina partnered with UK based company focused on treating animals and became the CEO of his company. Now, the company is awaiting FDA approval to commence tests on people. Meanwhile, a five-pack of 5-milliliter VetiGel syringes that costs $150 is on its way to veterinarians across the country.
It is not yet known if the gel in its version for humans would be developed for the military first, or if itwould be registered under another name.