Microneedle patch quickly puts a stop to haemorrhaging

Sheikhi’s prototype microneedle patch is described in a paper set for publication in the May issue of Bioactive Materials, and available now online.

“Excessive bleeding is a serious challenge for human health,” Sheikhi said in a statement. “With haemorrhaging injuries, it is often the loss of blood - not the injury itself - that causes death. There is an unmet medical need for ready-to-use biomaterials that promote rapid blood coagulation.”  

The haemostatic microneedle technology developed by Sheikhi can be applied like an adhesive bandage to quickly stop bleeding. The biocompatible and biodegradable microneedle arrays (MNAs) on the patch are said to increase its surface contact with blood and accelerate the clotting process. The needles also increase the adhesive properties of the patch via mechanical interlocking to promote wound closure.  

“In vitro, the engineered MNAs reduced clotting time from 11.5 minutes to 1.3 minutes; and in a rat liver bleeding model, they reduced bleeding by more than 90 per cent,” Sheikhi said. “Those 10 minutes could be the difference between life and death.” 

According to Penn State, the MNA patch can be compared with the hydrogel technology that is currently used to treat bleeding wounds in hospitals, but hydrogel applications require preparation and medical expertise. The microneedle patch is pre-engineered for immediate application that anyone can use to stop bleeding, Sheikhi said, much like a typical over-the-counter adhesive bandage.  

Microneedles - already in use to deliver biologics, including cells or drugs, through the skin or for cosmetic procedures to stimulate collagen production – are small enough to make their application pain-free, Sheikhi confirmed.  

Sheikhi and a team of researchers are now working to translate the patch from the lab to market, with plans to further test the technology.