Consider a Band-Aid that not only seals the wound when pasted over it, but also absorbs the flowing blood, and as if that weren't enough, allowing the blood to clot when it interacts with it. That's exactly what this band-aid, called chitosan patch, does.
Chitosan is an ingredient found in shrimp and crab shells. The positive charge on the molecules of this material, when interacting with red blood cells with a negative charge, leads to blood coagulation. A series of studies were conducted on chitosan for the first time at the Oregon Medical Laser Center in the United States. The first tests on animals gave extremely positive results, and the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of this tape in 2002. The production of this tape was entrusted to a company called HemCon, which produces technologies for trauma injuries.
Chitosan tape plays an extremely important role in civilian life as well as on the battlefield. Since this band causes wounds to clot extremely hard, it makes it possible for the wounded to be transported more easily and prevents the need for blood transfusions on the battlefields. Bleeding is one of the leading causes of death in battlefields. Researchers state that more than 5,000 soldiers' lives could have been saved if this tape had been invented during the Vietnam War.
In 2005, the Pentagon ordered $10.5 million worth of chitosan tape from HemCon. These tapes were also named one of the ten greatest inventions of all time by the United States Army Center for Research, Development, and Engineering. Chitosan patch is also important in that it is the only medical product on this list.