Scientists develop powder that stops bleeding in one second

The study, titled An Ionic Gelation Powder for Ultrafast Hemostasis and Accelerated Wound Healing, was published in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The technology was developed to address one of the most urgent problems in trauma and emergency care – uncontrolled bleeding. The study stresses that fast bleeding control remains especially important for deep and irregular wounds, where conventional dressings may not be effective.

“Rapid and effective bleeding control remains a clinical priority, particularly for deep or irregular wounds where conventional dressings are inadequate.”

The new material, known as AGCL powder, is designed as a powder-based hemostatic system. When applied to a wound, it reacts with calcium ions naturally present in blood and rapidly forms an adhesive hydrogel barrier, helping seal the wound surface almost instantly.

AGCL is composed of alginate, gellan gum, chitosan and a glutaraldehyde crosslinker. Alginate and gellan gum help trigger fast gel formation, while chitosan supports blood-component binding and antibacterial activity. Together, these components allow the powder to combine rapid physical sealing with biological support for clotting and wound repair.

Unlike flat patch-type hemostatic products, which can be difficult to apply to deep, uneven or non-compressible wounds, AGCL can conform to injuries of different shapes and depths. The study found that the powder combines speed with high absorption capacity.

“Upon contact with calcium ions in blood, AGCL rapidly forms an adhesive hydrogel network within ≈1 s, enabling ultrafast gelation and a high blood uptake ratio (≈725%).”

The authors also noted that the powder remained effective after long-term storage.

“The powder exhibits strong bioadhesion (>40 kPa), excellent sealing under mixed-mode loading, and robust storage stability for up to 24 months under ambient conditions.”

This performance, according to the researchers, outpaced previously reported powder-type hemostatic materials and made the powder more suitable for high-flow bleeding scenarios.

Laboratory tests showed minimal hemolysis, high cytocompatibility and strong antibacterial activity. In animal models, AGCL reduced blood loss and shortened the time needed to stop bleeding compared with TachoSil, a clinical benchmark. The material also supported faster wound healing, including re-epithelialization, blood vessel formation and collagen deposition.

The authors concluded that AGCL combines “rapid coagulation, strong adhesion, long-term biostability, and regenerative capacity” in a single platform, making it a promising candidate for next-generation hemostatic materials. However, the powder remains at the research stage, and further testing will be needed before it can be considered for wider use in trauma care, surgery or emergency medicine.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on another medical breakthrough, an experimental nasal spray vaccine for tuberculosis developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine.