Our research focuses on investigating how the chemistry and structure of synthetic polymer hydrogels influence the blood coagulation cascade. Specifically we are interested in the effects that crosslink density, gel molarity, monomer ratio, charge density, and hydrophilicity have on coagulation. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the interactions which occur between synthetic polymers and blood coagulation cascade components for the directed development of more advanced hemostatic materials. In line with this goal, we have recently developed a polymer hydrogel capable of inducing the formation of a robust hemostatic clot in fresh sheep blood within seconds. Experimentation employing various factor inhibitors and factor deficient plasmas is currently being conducted in order to determine the mechanism by which this activation is occurring.
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