KAIST has developed a next-generation powder hemostatic agent that can stop bleeding just one second after being applied. This innovation is expected to significantly help soldiers who experience severe bleeding in war. On the 29th, KAIST announced that a joint research team, led by Professor Steve Park from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Jeon Sang-yong from the Department of Biological Sciences, developed a powder-type hemostatic agent. When applied to a wound, this agent forms a strong hydrogel barrier within about one second.
Traditional patch-type hemostatic agents widely used in medical settings are difficult to apply to deep or complex wounds because of their flat structure and have limitations in storage and use due to sensitivity to temperature and humidity. Addressing these issues, the KAIST team developed a powder form that can be freely applied to deep and large irregular wounds, securing versatility for various wound types with a single powder.
The main limitation of existing hemostatic agents is their way of forming a barrier by physically absorbing blood, which restricts their hemostatic capability. To overcome this, the research team focused on the ionic reactions within blood. They created the “AGCL powder” hemostatic agent by combining bio-compatible natural materials like alginate, gellan gum, and chitosan. Chitosan enhances chemical and biological hemostasis by interacting with blood components. The AGCL powder reacts with cations like calcium in the blood to instantly transform into a gel state and seal the wound within a second.
Additionally, the team designed the powder with a 3D structure that can absorb over seven times its weight (725%) in blood. Thanks to this structure, AGCL powder quickly blocks blood flow even in high-pressure and severe bleeding situations and exhibits superior sealing performance with adhesive strength over 40 kPa, outperforming commercial hemostatic agents.
The AGCL powder is made entirely of natural materials and demonstrated safety with less than 3% hemolysis, a cell survival rate of over 99%, and 99.9% antibacterial effects upon contact with blood. In animal experiments, it showed excellent tissue regeneration, promoting rapid wound healing and regeneration of blood vessels and collagen. In experiments simulating surgical liver damage, both bleed volume and hemostasis time significantly decreased compared to commercial hemostatic agents, with liver function returning to normal levels two weeks post-surgery. No adverse systemic toxicity was observed.
AGCL powder maintains its performance for up to two years even in room temperature and high humidity conditions, making it suitable for immediate use in harsh environments like military operations or disaster areas. Although developed with defense purposes in mind, the technology has great potential for emergency medical use in disaster sites, developing countries, and areas with limited medical resources.
The technology is considered a prime example of a “spin-off,” where defense science technology expands into civilian applications, from emergency first aid on the battlefield to surgical hemostasis. Examples of such spin-offs include computers, GPS, and microwaves. An army major involved in the research contributed to its development as a field-ready technology, considering real combat scenarios, and enhanced its practical applicability and storage efficiency, ensuring it hardens immediately in extreme conditions for instant emergency treatment.
Park Kyusoon, a KAIST PhD candidate and army major who participated in the research, stated, “The core of modern warfare is minimizing human loss,” and expressed his mission to save as many soldiers as possible. He added his hope that the developed technology will be used as life-saving technology in both defense and civilian medical settings. The study, with Park as a student author alongside Song Young-joo from the KAIST integrated MS-PhD program and under the guidance of Professors Park and Jeon, was published online on October 28 in the international journal “Advanced Functional Materials.”
Reference Material:
– DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523910