Medical breakthrough could make blood-contacting devices safer: researchers [Video]

Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed what’s being considered “a groundbreaking coating” that could make medical devices safer.

For millions of patients, this could mean reducing the risk of thrombosis (or blood clot formation) and dangerous bleeding, according to a UBC press release.

The new material, which is designed for tubing in various medical devices, mimics the “natural behavior of blood vessels.”

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This allows for the safer use of blood-contacting devices, such as catheters, stents, blood-oxygenation machines and dialysis machines, the release stated.

The coating could prove especially helpful in cases where blood clots are a bigger concern.

Blood thinners are usually prescribed in high doses to prevent clots in machine users, but this can increase the risk of dangerous bleeding, according to the university.

“Since almost all synthetic materials activate blood upon contact, this is an enormous challenge.”

“By designing a coating that mimics the body’s natural approach to preventing clots, we’ve created a …