How Hemoflex® works

Contact of Hemoflex® with blood causes adhesion and clogging of negatively charged blood cells (first of all, red blood cells) on the positively charged Hemoflex® surface. As a result, a gel-like clot forms and closes the vessel injury thus stopping the bleed. The use of the chitosan nanofibers as part of the Hemoflex® patented multilayer structure9 improves hemostatic effect, decreases the risk of rebleeding, and causes no inflammatory response.

Chitosan is a high-molecular compound, where the macromolecule contains a lot of free amine groups enabling to fix hydrogen ions and receive excessive positive charge. When the biopolymer contacts with blood, the positive charge attracts the red blood cells, whose outer membrane is negatively charged, and changes their surface potential. This results to their clogging and thus formation of a gel-like clot that closes the vessel defect6. So, the chitosan hemostatic action mechanism does not involve regular hemostasis system actors, i.e. clotting factors, which allows its use for patients with impaired coagulation system or in case of hypothermia7.

Today the world market of the chitosan-based hemostatic products is represented by two major manufacturers: MedTrade Products Ltd (UK) and HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. (USA). They produce medical products for temporary control of external bleeding in the form of powders (Celox™ Granules) and non-woven materials (Celox™ RAPID Gauze, HemCon ChitoGauze®)1,4. Hemoflex® is developed and manufactured with the use of advanced technology for processing medical polymers into non-woven nanofiber materials8. Unlike traditional porous, powder or fiber hemostatic materials, the non- woven materials comprising polymer nanofibers feature larger specific surface area, porosity, air permeability and higher sorption capabilities. Both pre-clinical and clinical studies of Hemoflex® have shown a high hemostatic efficiency and better hemostasis stability compared to analogs. The innovative biomedical polymer processing technology, unrivaled in Russia, allows for considerably lower final cost.