Medical training kits and methods to simulate treatment of uncontrolled hemorrhage

Abstract

Medical training kits and methods include a simulated liquid blood which simulates mammalian whole blood and a simulated hemostatic component. The simulated liquid blood includes a gellable component, and a simulated hemostatic component includes a gelling agent. The gelling agent causes the gellable component in the simulated liquid blood to form a mass of semi-solid or solid material in response the simulated blood being brought into contact therewith to thereby simulate blood clotting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical training kit to simulate treatment of wound hemorrhage comprising:
 simulated liquid blood which comprises a gellable component, and   a simulated hemostatic component comprising a gelling agent which causes the gellable component to form a mass of semi-solid or solid material in response the simulated blood being brought into contact therewith to thereby simulate blood clotting.   
     
     
         2 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component comprises a carrier for the gelling agent. 
     
     
         3 . The medical training kit as in  claim 2 , wherein the carrier is a liquid, fabric, sponge or pouch. 
     
     
         4 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component is in the form of a particulate or liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated liquid blood formulation is an aqueous acidic solution comprising chitosan as the clottable component. 
     
     
         6 . The medical training kit as in  claim 5 , wherein the chitosan is present in the simulated blood formulation in an amount between about 0.6 to about 2.0 wt. %. 
     
     
         7 . The medical training kit as in  claim 5 , wherein the chitosan has a molecular weight of between about 50,000 Da to about 500,000 Da. 
     
     
         8 . The medical training kit as in  claim 5 , wherein the chitosan is autoclaved at temperatures between about 100 to about 150° C., at pressures of between about 5 to about 25 psi and a time of between about 1 minute to about 90 minutes. 
     
     
         9 . The medical training kit as in  claim 5 , wherein the chitosan has a percent deacetylation value (% DA) of at least about 70%. 
     
     
         10 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated blood comprises at least one colorant in an amount sufficient to mimic coloration of whole mammalian blood. 
     
     
         11 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated blood comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of viscosity modifiers and tactile agents. 
     
     
         12 . The medical training kit as in  claim 11 , wherein the simulated blood comprises a cellulosic material as a viscosity modifier. 
     
     
         13 . The medical training kit as in  claim 11 , wherein the simulated blood comprises glycerol as a tactile agent. 
     
     
         14 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the simulated blood comprises chitosan as a gellable component, and wherein simulated hemostatic component comprises a gelling agent which causes the chitosan to desolubulize, polymerize, complex, precipitate and/or cross-link so as to form a semi-solid or solid coagulated mass of chitosan in response to physical contact between the simulated blood and the gelling agent. 
     
     
         15 . The medical training kit as in  claim 14 , wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP), β-glycerophospate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and Rose Bengal. 
     
     
         16 . The medical training kit as in  claim 1 , wherein the gellable component in the simulated blood comprises chitosan, and wherein the gelling agent comprises sodium tripolyphosphate. 
     
     
         17 . The medical training kit as in  claim 14 ,  15  or  16 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component is in the form of a simulated hemostatic dressing comprising a fabric substrate and a gelling agent carried by the fabric substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The medical training kit as in  claim 17 , wherein the gelling agent is present in an amount of between about 45 wt. % to about 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the fabric substrate. 
     
     
         19 . A gellable simulated liquid blood which comprises an aqueous acidic chitosan solution, at least one colorant in an amount sufficient to mimic coloration of whole mammalian blood and optionally at least one additive selected from the group consisting of viscosity modifiers and tactile agents. 
     
     
         20 . The simulated liquid blood as in  claim 19 , wherein the chitosan is present in the simulated blood formulation in an amount between about 0.6 to about 2.0 wt. %. 
     
     
         21 . The simulated blood as in  claim 19 , wherein the chitosan has a molecular weight of between about 50,000 Da to about 500,000 Da. 
     
     
         22 . The simulated blood as in  claim 19 , wherein the chitosan is autoclaved at temperatures between about 100 to about 150° C., at pressures of between about 5 to about 25 psi and a time of between about 1 minute to about 90 minutes. 
     
     
         23 . The simulated blood as in  claim 19 , wherein the chitosan has a percent deacetylation value (% DA) of at least about 70%. 
     
     
         24 . The simulated blood as in  claim 19 , wherein aqueous acidic liquid having a pH of between about 4 to about 6 
     
     
         25 . A simulated hemostatic component which comprises a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent is at least one compound which causes gelling of a simulated blood comprising chitosan by causing the chitosan to desolubulize, polymerize, complex, precipitate and/or cross-link so as to form a semi-solid or solid mass of the chitosan in response to physical contact between the simulated blood and the gelling agent thereby simulating clotting. 
     
     
         26 . The simulated hemostatic component of  claim 25 , wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of gelling agents for use in the simulated hemostatic dressing component include, for example, sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP), β-glycerophospate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and Rose Bengal. 
     
     
         27 . The simulated hemostatic component of  claim 25 , wherein the gelling agent comprises sodium tripolyphosphate. 
     
     
         28 . The simulated hemostatic component as in  claim 25 , which further comprises a carrier for the gelling agent. 
     
     
         29 . The simulated hemostatic component as in  claim 28 , wherein the carrier is a liquid, fabric, sponge or pouch. 
     
     
         30 . The simulated hemostatic component as in  claim 25 , which is in the form of a particulate or liquid. 
     
     
         31 . The simulated hemostatic component as in  claim 25 , in the form of a simulated hemostatic dressing which comprises a fabric substrate carrying the gelling agent. 
     
     
         32 . The simulated hemostatic dressing of  claim 31 , wherein the gelling agent is present in an amount of between about 45 wt. % to about 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the fabric substrate 
     
     
         33 . A method of training medical responders to treat wound hemorrhage comprising:
 (a) providing a simulated wound;   (b) causing a simulated liquid blood which simulates mammalian whole blood and includes a gellable component to flow into the wound; and   (c) applying a simulated hemostatic component comprising a gelling agent to the wound in contact with the simulated blood to thereby cause the gelling agent to interact with the gellable component and form a mass of semi-solid or solid material thereby simulating blood clotting.   
     
     
         34 . The method as in  claim 33 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component is in particulate or liquid form. 
     
     
         35 . The method as in  claim 34 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component is a powder, and wherein step (c) comprises applying the powder directly to the simulated wound to cause the powder to contact the simulated blood. 
     
     
         36 . The method as in  claim 34 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component comprises a carrier for the gelling agent selected from the group consisting of a liquid, fabric, sponge or pouch. 
     
     
         37 . The method as in  claim 33 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component comprises a simulated hemostatic dressing which includes a fabric substrate carrying the gelling agent, and wherein step (c) comprises applying the simulated hemostatic dressing to the wound to cause the simulated blood to contact the gelling agent carried by the fabric substrate. 
     
     
         38 . The method as in  claim 33 , wherein the simulated liquid blood is an aqueous acidic solution comprising chitosan as the gellable component. 
     
     
         39 . The method as in  claim 38 , wherein the chitosan is present in the simulated blood formulation in an amount between about 0.6 to about 2.0 wt. %. 
     
     
         40 . The method as in  claim 39 , wherein the chitosan has a molecular weight of between about 50,000 Da to about 500,000 Da. 
     
     
         41 . The method as in  claim 38 , wherein the chitosan is autoclaved at temperatures between about 100 to about 150° C., at pressures of between about 5 to about 25 psi and a time of between about 1 minute to about 90 minutes. 
     
     
         42 . The method as in  claim 38 , wherein the chitosan has a percent deacetylation value (% DA) of at least about 70%. 
     
     
         43 . The method as in  claim 38 , wherein the simulated blood comprises at least one colorant in an amount sufficient to mimic coloration of whole mammalian blood. 
     
     
         44 . The method as in  claim 38 , wherein the simulated blood comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of viscosity modifiers and tactile agents. 
     
     
         45 . The method as in  claim 44 , wherein the simulated blood comprises a cellulosic material as a viscosity modifier. 
     
     
         46 . The method as in  claim 44 , wherein the simulated blood comprises glycerol as a tactile agent. 
     
     
         47 . The method as in  claim 33 , wherein the simulated blood comprises chitosan as a gellable component, and wherein simulated hemostatic component comprises a gelling agent which causes the chitosan to desolubulize, polymerize, complex, precipitate and/or cross-link so as to form a semi-solid or solid mass of chitosan in response to physical contact between the simulated blood and the simulated hemostatic agent. 
     
     
         48 . The method as in  claim 47 , wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of hemostatic agents for use in the simulated hemostatic dressing component include, for example, sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP), β-glycerophospate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and Rose Bengal. 
     
     
         49 . The method as in  claim 33 , wherein the gellable component in the simulated blood comprises chitosan, and wherein the simulated hemostatic agent comprises sodium tripolyphosphate. 
     
     
         50 . The method as in  claim 49 , wherein the simulated hemostatic component comprises a simulated hemostatic dressing which includes a fabric substrate carrying the gelling agent, and wherein step (c) comprises applying the simulated hemostatic dressing to the wound to cause the simulated blood to contact the gelling agent carried by the fabric substrate. 
     
     
         51 . The method as in  claim 50 , wherein the simulated hemostatic agent is present in an amount of between about 45 wt. % to about 75 wt. %, based on the weight of the fabric substrate.