Medical

Gelatin is used in several medical applications:

• Plasma expanders are designed to maintain the circulatory blood-volume and advantageously avoid the risk of viral contamination. Gelatin may be modified to render it suitable for use as a transfusion medium, in place of human serum or plasma and as a constituent of intravenous injectables. This modification involves hydrolytic breakdown of the protein to destroy its gelling capacity, followed by a cross-linking procedure to increase the molecular weight of the hydrolysate. This step ensures that the colloid has a sufficiently high osmotic pressure, under physiological conditions, whereby it diffuses slowly through the walls of the blood vessels, avoiding a rapid leakage from the circulatory system.

• Haemostatic sponges are formed when a sterile solution of gelatin is whipped into a foam, made insoluble by a treatment with a cross-linker and dried. These sponges are used in surgery as an absorbable local haemostatic sponge which may be produced in various degrees of flexibility. Proteolytic enzymes completely digest the sponge which can therefore be left in position as the tissue heals. They can also be used to implant a drug or antibiotic directly into a specific area.

• Wound healing products might also be gelatin based. They stimulate the healing process of all types of wounds, thereby reducing the formation of scars. 

Should you want more information on the application of gelatin in medical products, please contact the sales office in your region.