The Brief
- University of Central Florida researchers have developed SilFoam, a new foam-based treatment to stop severe bleeding.
- The invention is designed to quickly expand inside deep wounds, sealing them in seconds and applying pressure to control blood loss.
- SilFoam could become a low-cost, easy-to-use tool for emergency responders.
ORLANDO, Fla. – What started as a routine visit to the doctor turned into a turning point for chemist Kausik Mukhopadhyay. A decade ago, while walking out of a Michigan clinic, he saw paramedics struggle to control the bleeding of a gunshot victim. That moment sparked an idea: what if he could create a foam that stops bleeding instantly?
“I was actually coming out from my doctor and that’s when I saw the emergency unit coming in,” said Mukhopadhyay. “That was my first time seeing so much blood.”
The vision stuck with him. He left his job and moved to Florida to become a professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he and doctoral student Pritha Sarkar began developing a solution.
What is SilFoam, and how does it work?
SilFoam is a biocompatible foam that forms instantly when two specially formulated liquids mix. Stored in a dual-chamber syringe, the components include:
- PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane): An affordable, widely available biocompatible polymer.
- Inorganic Oxides: Chemicals that react with the polymer to form a solid sponge-like foam.
What they’re saying:…