MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIALS WHICH HAVE INCREMENTED PARTICLE SIZE FOR THE FORMATION OF BLOOD COGULES Technical Field The present invention relates generally to blood coagulation devices and, more particularly, to blood coagulation materials and compositions for use as blood pressure devices. bleeding control. Background of the Invention Blood is a liquid tissue that includes red blood cells, white blood cells, corpuscles and platelets dispersed in a liquid phase. The liquid phase is plasma, which includes acids, lipids, solubilized electrolytes and proteins. The proteins are suspended in the liquid phase and can be separated from the liquid phase by any of a variety of methods such as filtration, centrifugation, electrophoresis and immunochemical techniques. A particular protein suspended in the liquid phase is fibrinogen. When bleeding occurs, fibrinogen reacts with water and thrombin (an enzyme) to form fibrin, which is insoluble in the blood and polymerizes to form clots. In a wide variety of circumstances, animals, including humans, can be injured. Frequently the bleeding is associated with such wounds. In some circumstances, the wound and bleeding are minor, and theNormal blood coagulation works in addition to the application of the simple first aid which is all that is required. Unfortunately, however, in other circumstances substantial bleeding may occur. These situations usually require specialized equipment and materials as well as trained personnel to administer appropriate assistance. If such help is not readily available, excessive blood loss may occur. When the bleeding is severe, sometimes the immediate availability of trained personnel and equipment is still insufficient to plug the blood flow in a timely manner. In addition, severe injuries can often be inflicted in remote areas or situations, such as on a battlefield, where adequate medical assistance is not immediately available. In these cases, it is important to stop the bleeding, even in less severe injuries, enough time to allow the injured person or animal to receive medical attention. In an effort to address the problems described in the foregoing, materials have been developed to control excessive bleeding in situations where conventional help is not available or less than optimally effective. Although these materials have been shown to be somewhat successful, they are not quite affective for traumatic injuries and tend to be costly. In addition, theseJMaterials are sometimes ineffective in all situations and can be difficult to apply as well as removed from a wound. Additionally, or alternatively, previously developed materials can produce undesirable side effects, particularly in cases in which they are poorly applied to the wounds or in which they are applied by untrained personnel. For example, because the blood coagulation material of the prior art is generally a powder or fine particulate form, the surface area of the material is relatively large. The typical moisture content of a blood coagulation material of large surface area is generally up to about 15% of the total weight of the material. This combination of moisture content surface area frequently produces an exothermic reaction in the application of the material to the blood. Depending on the specific surface area and the specific amount of moisture, the resulting exotherm may be sufficient to cause discomfort or even burn the patient. Although some patents of the prior art specifically mention the resulting exotherm as being a desirable feature that can provide cauterization to the wound, there is still the possibility that tissue in and around the wound site may be undesirably damaged.
Based on the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a bleeding control material that exceeds or improves that of the prior art. Brief Description of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a composition for blood coagulation comprises a molecular sieve material in the form of a particle, the particles having an average diameter of about 0.2 mm to about 10 mra. The molecular sieve material can be a zeolite such as crystalline aluminosilicate having calcium and / or sodium components. Because the molecular sieve material is hydrophilic in nature, the crystalline structure adsorbs water in the interstices of the surface of the structure when left exposed in an environment that has any degree of moisture. Surprisingly, one advantage that has been discovered is that the molecular hue material reacts less exothermically with the blood as the particle size increases. As the particle size increases, the surface area of the particles that blood can come into contact with decreases. However, the porous nature of the material still allows the water to be absorbed to cause thickening of the blood, thus facilitating the formation of clots. Because the particle surface areaexposed to blood is reduced, there is less aggressive removal of moisture from the blood, which moderates the exothermic effects experienced in the wound circle. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it is easily applied to an open wound. Particularly when the composition is in the form of particles, it can be easily removed from the sterilized package and deposited directly at the points from which the blood emanates to heal the wound. Depositing the composition typically comprises emptying the particles directly onto the wound. Detailed Description of the Preferred Modalities Disclosed herein are compositions directed to blood coagulation and wound healing. The compositions generally comprise molecular sieve materials that can minimize or stop a blood flow by absorbing at least portions of the liquid phases of the blood, thereby promoting coagulation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the molecular sieve material comprises a zeolite. As used herein, the term "zeolite" refers to a crystalline form of aluminosilicate that has the ability to be dehydrated without undergoing significant changes in the crystal structure. The zeolite may include one or more ionic species such as, for example, calcium portionsand sodium. Typically, the zeolite is a friable material that is about 90% by weight of calcium and about 10% by weight of sodium. The calcium portion has crystals that are about 5 angstroms in size, and the sodium portion contains crystals that are about 4 angstroms in size. The preferred molecular structure of the zeolite is a "type A" crystal, specifically, one having a cubic crystalline structure that defines round or substantially round openings. The zeolites can be mixed with or otherwise used in conjunction with other materials that have the ability to be dehydrated without significant changes in the crystal structure. Such materials include, but are not limited to, magnesium sulfate, sodium metaphosphate, calcium chloride, dextrin, combination of the above materials and hydrate with the above materials. Zeolites for use in the disclosed applications may be that they occur naturally or are produced synthetically. Numerous varieties of zeolites that occur naturally are found as deposits in sedimentary environments as well as elsewhere. Naturally occurring zeolites that can be applied in the compositions described herein, include but are notthey are limited to, analcita, chabazita, heuladita, natrolita, estilbita and tomosonita. The synthetically produced zeolites which were also found to be used in the compositions and methods described herein are generally produced by processes in which the rare earth oxides are replaced by silicates, alumina, or alumina in combination with alkali metal or alkaline earth metal oxides . The zeolite particles may be substantially spherical or irregular (e.g., beads, beads, pellets or the like) or in the form of chips or flakes. The substantially spherical or irregular particles, as well as chips or flakes, are from about 0.2 millimeter (mm) to about 10 mm in diameter, preferably from about 1 mm to about 7 mm in diameter, and more preferably from about 2 mm in diameter. approximately 5 mm in diameter. Alternatively, the particles may be rod shaped and configured to have round, irregular or angular cross sections. In any configuration, the rods are typically produced by way of an extrusion process. The particles that are rod-shaped are about 0.2 mm to about 10 mm in length, preferably about Imm to about 7 mm in length, and more preferablyabout 2 mm to about 5 mm in length. In any mode (balls, basins, pellets, chips, chips, rods), less surface area of particles is available to be contacted by the blood as the particle size increases. Therefore, the coagulation ratio can be controlled by varying the particle size. Surprisingly, it has been found that by maintaining the particle size within the ranges provided in the above, such that the material comprises discrete elements, there is a correlative relationship between the surface area and the exothermic effects when applied to the blood . In addition, the accumulation of moisture (which also has an effect on the exothermic effects of zeolites) can also be controlled. Under super-moisture conditions, the zeolite material can be made to have a moisture content of about 21% by weight. Preferably, the moisture content of the zeolite as used in the present invention is from about 4 wt% to about 15 wt%, and more preferably about 5 wt% to about 12 wt%. In the preparation of the zeolite material for the blood coagulation composition of the present invention (i.e. in the formation of the material in the form of particles), an initial level of hydrationof the zeolites can be controlled by applying heat to the zeolite material either before or after the material is formed into particles. However, it has also surprisingly been found that as the zeolite particle size increases, the moisture content has less of a correlative effect on any exotherms produced as a result of mixing the particle zeolite in the blood. Accordingly, in almost all environmental conditions, the amount of moisture of the zeolite material is between about 4% by weight and about 10% by weight and the moisture at this level has little effect on the effectiveness of the zeolite as a composition of blood coagulation. Various materials can be mixed with, associated with, or incorporated into the zeolites to maintain an antiseptic environment at the wound site or to provide functions that are supplemental to the coagulation functions of the zeolites. Exemplary materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, pharmaceutically active compositions such as antibiotics, antifungal agents, antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics (e.g., cimetidine, chlorpheniramine maleate, diphenhydramine hydrochloride and promethazine hydrochloride) compounds that contain silver ions and the like. Other materialswhich can be incorporated to provide additional hemostatic functions include ascorbic acid, tranexamic acid, rutin and thrombin. They can also be added to botanical agents that have desirable effects on the site of the wound. Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes can be made and equivalents may be substituted by element thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. . In addition, modifications can be made to adapt a situation to particular material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is proposed that the invention be not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the foregoing detailed description, but that the invention be included in all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.