HEMORRHAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
An embodiment includes a wound dressing comprising: a shape memory polymer (SMP) foam, including open cells, having first and second states; and a hydrogel (HG) included within the cells; wherein (a) in a first position a composite, including the SMP foam and the HG, is configured to be located proximate a hemorrhagic tissue with the SMP foam in the first state; (b) in a second position the composite is configured to be expanded to the second state against the hemorrhagic tissue when the SMP foam is plasticized at 37° C. depressing a glass transition temperature (T g ) of the SMP foam to below 25° C. Other embodiments are described herein.
1 . A hemorrhage management system comprising:
a shape memory polymer (SMP) foam, including open cells, having first and second states; and
a hydrogel (HG) included within the cells;
wherein (a) in a first position a composite, including the SMP foam and the HG, is configured to be located proximate a hemorrhagic tissue with the SMP foam in the first state; (b) in a second position the composite is configured to expand to the second state against the hemorrhagic tissue when the SMP foam is plasticized at 37° C. depressing a glass transition temperature (T g ) of the SMP foam to below 25° C.
2 . A method comprising:
(1) a SMP foam/HG device is heated above its Tg and held in the desired geometry for packaging;
(2) the device is cooled below its Tg to program the packaged shape into the device;
(3) the device is sterilized under EtO sterilization and packaged and stored at temperatures less than 30 degrees Celsius;
(4) to apply the hemostatic sponge, it is removed from the package and inserted anywhere within the wound area;
(5) the wound area is covered with a cloth, bandage, or hydrogel graft and the foam plasticizes at body temperature to expand and fill the entire geometry of the wound; and
(6) pressure is applied until hemostasis is observed.