The new technology could revolutionize the treatment and prevention of sepsis

The new technology could revolutionize the treatment and prevention of sepsis -

The National Science Foundation has awarded $ 0,000 for engineers at Oregon State University, who have developed a new technology that could revolutionize they believe the treatment and prevention of sepsis.

Sepsis is a "hidden killer" that the United States actually kills more people every year than AIDS, prostate cancer and breast cancer combined.

More commonly known as "blood poisoning", sepsis can quickly turn a modest infection an inflammation of the whole body based on a dysfunctional immune response to endotoxins which are released from bacterial cell walls . In severe cases, this can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

When treatment is started early enough, sepsis can sometimes be treated successfully with antibiotics. But they are not always effective and the mortality rate for the condition is still 28-50 percent. About one in four people in a hospital emergency room is there because of sepsis, and millions of people die worldwide each year, according to reports in the New England Journal of Medicine and other studies.

In the search for avant-garde, the OSU experts used microchannel technology and special coatings to create a small device through which blood could be treated, removing endotoxins and problematic prevention of sepsis. Several recent professional publications have reported on their progress.

"More work is needed, and the support of the National Science Foundation will contribute to that," said Adam Higgins, principal investigator of the grant and an assistant professor in the OSU School of Chemistry , biological engineering and the environment. "Once completed, we believe that this technology will treat sepsis effectively at low cost, or even prevent it when used as a prophylactic treatment."

This technology can finally offer a way to fight against sepsis other than antibiotics, researchers said.

"This does not kill bacteria and leave floating fragments behind, it sticks to and eliminates circulating bacteria and endotoxin particles that could help trigger a sepsis response," said Karl Schilke , Callahan OSU Faculty Scholar in chemical engineering.

"We hope to emboss the cheap polymer device, so it should be cheap enough that it can be used once and then discarded," said Schilke. "The low cost also allow treatment before sepsis is evident Whenever there is a concern about developing septicemia -. Due to injury, injury, surgery or infection -. You could get ahead of the problem "

" Much of the problem with sepsis is that it moves so quickly, "said Joe McGuire, professor and head of the OSU Department of Chemical, Biological and environmental engineering. "as it is clear that the problem is, it is often too late to treat.

" If given early enough, antibiotics and other treatments may sometimes but not always stop this process, "said McGuire. "Once these are bacterial fragments in the blood stream antibiotics still work. You can have succeeded in eradicating the live bacteria even when you are dying."

The approach developed at OSU College genius is to move the blood through a very small processor, the size of a coffee cup, and literally take endotoxins and remove them.

microchannels make this possible. They can provide accelerated heat and mass transfer as the fluids move through tiny tubes width of a human hair. applications are already under consideration in any heat exchangers solar energy. They can be produced in mass quantities at low cost, stamped on a range of metals and plastics, and used to treat a large volume of liquid in a relatively short time.

in the system developed at Oregon State, blood can be pumped through thousands of microchannels that are coated with what researchers call "brush polymer suspension" with repeating chains of atoms . of carbon and oxygen anchored on the surface This prevents proteins and blood cells from sticking or coagulate on the end of the pendant chain is a peptide -. or bioactive agent. - Who binds tightly to endotoxin and removes blood, which then directly to the patient

Sepsis is quite common. It can develop after an injury caused by a car accident, a dirty wound, an extended operation in hospital which carries a risk of infection or infectious diseases in people with a weakened immune system or compromise.