Univ. of MD Lab Develops Biodegradable Bandage

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WUSA) --- A newly developed bandage has the potential to save lives.

Inside the labs at the University of Maryland, 9NEWS examined the "bio-bandage" made from chitosan, a protein found in hard-shelled animals like the crab harvested from the Chesapeake Bay.

Ph.D student, Matt Dowling, and professor Srini Raghavan have collaborated on developing the bandage.

The bandage comes in two forms: sponge and liquid.

The sponge bandage sticks to severe blood wounds and stops blood loss. The liquid is used as a sealant on minor cuts inside a patient's body during surgery.

The bandage is still in its testing phase. Still, the duo claim they may have a potential medical product that costs significantly less than similar bandages.

WATCH THE FIRST VIDEO to see a demo of the liquid bandage.

"We believe we have a product that is cheaper and better than any other product out there," says Associate Professor Srini Raghavan of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

The sponge-like bandage has microscopic hooks that gently attach to a severe wound. It is designed to stop major blood loss. The potential application of the bandage includes treatment of wounded soldiers in combat.

"We need to do a number of additional tests...to strictly compare it with competitors, to show that it really works better," Raghavan says. The bandage is patent-pending.

WATCH THE SECOND VIDEO to learn the possibilities of the bandage.

Dowling collaborated with Raghavan on the creation of the bandage. Dowling believes the bandage will work as effectively as more expensive varieties while costing ten times less.

Dowling is a student at the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. He and the professor won "Best Inventor Pitch for Bioscience Day 2008," at the University of Maryland in November, 2008, for the bandage.

"A few years ago, before Matt got on board, we had done some experiments in my lab with artificial cells and we found that those cells could be gelled up [by adding chitosan,]" explains Raghavan.

After consulting with surgeons at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the professor and Dowling conducted the experiment using blood.

"And sure enough, we did the experiments with blood and the results were spectacular!" Raghavan says.

The bandage also works as a liquid sealant. The liquid would be applied inside a patient's body during surgery to stop bleeding of minor cuts and incisions.

"If the tests go the way we expect them to go, we really think we have a product that could get into the market that people could afford to buy and could save lives," Raghavan says.

Doctors currently use expensive tissue sealants. Meantime, the biodegradable bandage relies on crab shells.

"For the commonly used materials in stopping bleeding in surgical procedures, this [small] amount of material would be hundreds of dollars. Where as, our amount of material is [worth] cents," Dowling says.

Dowling will actively market the product if FDA approves the substance for public use in future years. The 25-year-old has founded the startup company, Remedium Technologies.

"Remedium is Latin for healing, and the mission of our company is to create better healing solutions for patients suffering from severe injuries," Dowling says.

Meanwhile, the University of Maryland provides funding for a highly selective group of promising new science and technology ventures like the bandage.

"We work with startups like Remedium to give them the very first funding, and helps them get off the ground," says Martha Connolly, the director of Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program at the University.

"So what we look for are two things: One is a good science with promising technology. And secondly, is there a company that is able to take this to market and commercialize the technology and create a product," Connolly says.

Dowling has both the company and potential product in the bandage.

"I'm in a good environment for commercializing technology at the University of Maryland," he says.