Tissue Adhesives for Battlefield Hemorrhage Control

The goal of this program is to develop and test a fibrin based tissue adhesive and wound dressing system specifically to be usable on the battlefield. The tissue adhesive is a fibrin monomer based powder which is supplied in two forms: included within the pores of an open cell hydrophilic polyurethane foam intended for controlling deep tissue bleeding; or on the surface of an adhesive backed silicone film designed for treating superficial injury. In this contract period, the analytic characterization of the hemostatic agent was completed, and manufacturing methods for producing the agent have been developed. Animal experiments to evaluate its effect on final wound healing were also started. The final formulation for the hydrophilic foam delivery system was developed, and this material passed all USP Class VI toxicological tests. Testing of the silicone film wound dressing was begun, including an evaluation of timed release antibiotics incorporated into the film. U.S. patent 5,464,471 has been awarded, which covers the tissue adhesive itself and both delivery systems.