New device seals a wound in 15 seconds

The XStat device by RevMedx hopes to save lives on the battlefield by being able to plug a gunshot wound in as little as 15 seconds. The modified syringe shoots tiny sponges into wounds, which then expand and stick to avoid being washed out by the patients blood pressure.

The sponges work fast: In just 15 seconds, they expand to fill the entire wound cavity, creating enough pressure to stop heavy bleeding. And because the sponges cling to moist surfaces, they aren’t pushed back out of the body by gushing blood. “By the time you even put a bandage over the wound, the bleeding has already stopped,” Steinbaugh says.

The US Army funded $5 million to create the device - which is currently awaiting FDA approval - after seeing early prototypes, and is hoping to put them into use soon. Each device will likely cost about $100, which may go down with increased production.