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August 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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MAKERS
Shrimp-Shell Foam
Helps Stop Bleeding
Scientists have developed a foam
derived from shrimp shells that can be
sprayed directly onto an open wound
to quickly stop the bleeding. This is
especially helpful for victims of street
violence and military combat and
injuries that applying compression
pressure does not help, such as trauma
to the torso. Severe blood loss from
traumatic injury is the leading cause
of death for soldiers in combat and
for young civilians, and the majority
of these deaths are non-compressible,
according to Matthew Dowling and
colleagues at the University of Maryland
in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science
and Engineering. Currently there is
no effective way to treat such injuries,
the researchers noted. The foam is
a sprayable polymer and its active
ingredient is a modified chitosan, a
biopolymer derived from the shells of
shrimp and other crustaceans. This
foam physically connects blood cells
into clusters through hydrophobic
interactions. When the foam is sprayed
into an open wound cavity, it expands
and forms a self-supporting barrier
that stops the bleeding. In tests on pigs
with injuries to their livers, the bleeding
stopped within minutes and blood loss
was cut by 90 percent.
New Technology
Improves Skin
Laser Skin Resurfacing is a new technology designed to
improve both the tone and texture of your skin (see image
above). This innovative machine by Icon can take years
off your face in minutes.
Treatments are now available under the guidance of
Bruce Barton, M.D. at Body Spectrum. For a consultation
call 859-224-1235.
Laser Skin Resurfacing machine by Icon
New ‘Smart’ Insulin Patch
to Be Tested
A new “smart” insulin patch could eliminate the need
for injections and change how those with diabetes keep
their blood sugar levels in check. The patch was created by
researchers at the University of North Carolina and North
Carolina State. It is a thin square covered with more than
100 tiny needles. Researchers say the patch works fast, is
simple to use and is made from biocompatible materials.
The tiny needles are filled with insulin and glucose-sensing
enzymes in microscopic storage units that are released when
blood sugar levels get too high. “The whole system can be
personalized to account for a diabetic’s weight and sensitivity
to insulin,” said co-senior author Zhen Gu in a statement.
“So we could make the smart patch even smarter.” The
results, published in Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, showed promising results in mice with type 1
diabetes. Clinical trials in humans are forthcoming.