Starch-based Hemostat

Why in news?

• Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, have developed a starch-based ‘hemostat’.

About Starch-based Hemostat

• Hemostat materials absorb excess fluid by concentrating the natural clotting factors in the blood that are critical for stopping the blood flow; however, the bleeding can restart when non-biodegradable materials are removed.
• Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, have developed a starch-based ‘hemostat’ material that concentrates the natural clotting factors in blood by physically absorbing excess fluid.
• The biodegradable microparticles that combine to form a gel on a wound offer significant improvements over existing alternatives.
• The early-stage development of the material has been published in the journal Materialia, and Dr. Deepa Ghosh and her colleagues who worked on it hope to develop a versatile, potentially life-saving, and inexpensive product that would be a more realistic solution for lower-income economies worldwide.
• The product has increased absorption capacity, improved absorption, inexpensive, biocompatible as well as biodegradable.
• The microparticles of the product, known as 'calcium-modified carboxymethyl-starch,' swelled up to form a cohesive and adherent gel within 30 seconds after contact with blood in lab tests.

Prelims Question

Q.What is a hemostat?
a. A material that can control bleeding
b. An equipment which measures hemoglobin levels
c. A smelting device for pig iron
d. An invasive thermometer

Answer to the Prelims Question