Development and numerical simulation of a novel pneumatic conveying system to transport hemostatic powder for managing non-compressible torso hemorrhage

Severe bleeding is a life-threatening medical emergency that can potentially result in death. Although there are currently available treatments to stop severe bleeding from injuries, these treatments have their limitations and may be ineffective for specific types of bleeding, such as non-compressible intra-abdominal bleeding. The goal of this proposed project is to conduct research on the fundamental mechanisms involved in delivering a novel anti-bleeding powder to control severe bleeding. To achieve this goal, a combination of computer simulation and experimental techniques will be utilized to study the physical factors affecting the effectiveness of the novel powder delivery. A computational model will be developed using engineering software to simulate the transport of the powder. In addition, experiments will be conducted to support the simulations, which will involve the characterization of the powder’s material properties and the visualization of its transport through a long, transparent tube. The results obtained from both the computational and experimental studies will be integrated into computer-aided engineering for designing an optimized delivery system. A final prototype will be constructed, which will be used for testing and clinical study in the future.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dana Grecov

Student:

Partner:

CoMotion Drug Delivery Systems

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: