Bioglue, wound healing
The new โ€˜bioglueโ€™ is activated by UV light, which transforms the serum into a non-toxic hydrogel that can adhere to slippery, blood-stained surfaces while withstanding movement, like the beating of a heart.
Chinese researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking 'biological glue' which could be the breakthrough needed to stop patients with gushing open wounds from bleeding out, buying trauma surgeons vital time to save lives.

The new 'bioglue' is activated by UV light, which transforms the serum into a non-toxic hydrogel that can adhere to slippery, blood-stained surfaces while withstanding movement, like the beating of a heart.

"It is the first time that high-pressure bleeding of a beating heart with six-millimeter diameter cardiac penetration holes was rapidly stopped and the wounds were stably sealed by only using matrix gel within 20 [seconds] without suture," the authors state.

The researchers are so confident in their new bioglue that they believe the results speak for themselves, and quickly.

Warning: The following video is not for the squeamish or faint of heart.


In the video, the glue is spread across a bleeding animal liver which is then sealed using a UV light in less than a minute.

So far, the bioglue has only been tested on animal organs during trials in which it outperformed sutures and current generation surgical glues. The researchers believe it could be ready for human surgical use in the next three to five years.

The prototype bioglue reportedly contains no harmful chemicals and does not require additional surgical sutures afterwards to prevent the wound from reopening, and is capable of withstanding an impressive 290 mmHg blood pressure - way beyond what doctors and nurses typically deal with.