Fast-Acting Gel Stops Bleeding “Instantly”
What’s the Latest Development?
Joe Landolina, a 20-year-old NYU student, has created a substance called Veti-Gel that, when applied to an open wound, stops bleeding and starts the healing process almost instantaneously. Depending on where it makes contact, “[i]t can stimulate the creation of a blood-clotting substance, activate platelet cells to further plug the hole or cover and compress the wound.” In tests, it worked on surface and internal wounds to skin, organs, and even arteries, and Landolina says it could also be used to treat burns.
What’s the Big Idea?
Similar substances already exist that are designed to close wounds quickly, but Veti-Gel could potentially beat them all in terms of ease, versatility, and effectiveness. Made from a plant-based version of the material normally created by the body for use in healing, the gel keeps well in temperatures ranging from 33 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There are still additional tests to be done, but Landolina has already applied for a patent and is beginning the approval process with the FDA. Early reviews indicate high hopes: “He has impressed a lot of people,” says Marissa Tricarico of the NYU Innovation Venture Fund.
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