NITR team gets nod to manufacture tech to control severe bleeding

Rourkela: A research team from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela has got regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for commercial manufacturing and clinical deployment of its patented nano-biopolymer hemostatic technology that helps controls severe bleeding in cases of road accidents and gunshot wounds among others.In a statement issued on Tuesday, NIT Rourkela said the hemostatic powder, developed initially in its labs, addresses a critical gap in trauma care. “A significant portion of road-accident fatalities in India occurs due to delay in controlling bleeding, especially in remote or rural areas where trauma care is limited. This technology can bridge that gap and reduce preventable deaths,” the institute said.Available in powder and pellet forms, StopBleed® has a three-year shelf life at room temperature and can be used by both medical personnel and trained first responders.Developed using nanofibrous aggregate technology, the hemostat works by quickly absorbing blood plasma while trapping blood cells within a high-surface-area fibrous mesh, accelerating natural clot formation and creating a firm hydrogel seal on the wound.The innovation was developed in NIT Rourkela’s department of biotechnology and medical engineering by professor Devendra Verma and research scholar Sabir Hussain, who later founded Miraqules MedSolutions to commercialise the product. The technology has already secured patents in India, the USA, China, Israel and Australia.NIT Rourkela director Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao congratulated the innovators, saying the device has the potential to significantly strengthen India’s emergency healthcare ecosystem. “This milestone should encourage more young researchers to embrace entrepreneurship and develop indigenous healthcare solutions. India needs more such innovations to reduce import dependence and address local challenges,” Rao said.