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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
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Microfluidic Flow Chambers Using Reconstituted Blood to Model Hemostasis and Platelet Transfusion In Vitro
Published on: March 19, 2016
Radially Aligned Microchannels in a Hemostatic Sponge: Orchestrating Directional Transport, Active Sieving, and
Shiyu Zhang1,2, Jiming He1, Ke Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|May 31, 2026
Summary
This study presents a novel silk fibroin sponge with a unique microchannel structure and crosslinked network for enhanced hemostasis. The material rapidly absorbs fluids and promotes blood clotting, offering a promising solution for severe bleeding. Keywords: hemostatic sponge, silk fibroin, bleeding control.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Hemostasis
Background:
- Uncontrollable bleeding from non-compressible bone defects is a critical clinical issue.
- Existing silk fibroin hemostatic sponges face challenges with water absorption and dimensional stability.
- Developing advanced hemostatic materials is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a silk fibroin-based hemostatic sponge with improved fluid absorption and mechanical stability.
- To investigate the synergistic hemostatic mechanisms involving structural design and surface modification.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the novel sponge in controlling bleeding from bone defects.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a silk fibroin sponge using directional freezing to create a radially aligned microchannel architecture.
- Crosslinking the sponge with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether to enhance mechanical robustness.
- Surface modification with chitosan to impart a positive charge for electrostatic adhesion.
- Integration of thrombin protein corona particles to activate biological coagulation.
- In vivo evaluation of hemostatic performance in rat calvarial defect models.
Main Results:
- The engineered sponge exhibited a 2.4-fold increase in Young's modulus and a 16-fold increase in fluid absorption compared to random sponges.
- Molecular dynamics simulations revealed a binding free energy of -107.93 kcal/mol for chitosan-mediated blood cell adhesion.
- The novel sponge achieved hemostasis in 64 seconds in rat models, significantly faster than conventional sponges (185 seconds).
- A dual hemostatic mechanism combining physical blood cell sieving and activated biological coagulation was confirmed.
Conclusions:
- The rationally designed silk fibroin sponge with radial microchannels and a stable crosslinked network offers superior hemostatic performance.
- The synergistic integration of structural design, surface modification, and biomolecular components provides a novel paradigm for high-performance hemostatic materials.
- This advanced hemostatic sponge holds significant potential for clinical applications in managing severe bleeding.
