Water Absorption Dynamics in Medical Foam: Empirical Validation of the Lucas-Washburn Model

TL;DR

This paper empirically validates the Lucas-Washburn model for fluid absorption in medical foam, demonstrating its strong predictive power and practical relevance for designing effective hemorrhage control materials.

Contribution

It extends the Lucas-Washburn theory using non-equilibrium thermodynamics and confirms its applicability to real-world medical foam absorption.

Findings

Strong agreement between model and experiments

Minor deviations due to material heterogeneity

Enhanced understanding for medical foam design

Abstract

This study extends the Lucas-Washburn theory through non-equilibrium thermodynamic analysis to examine fluid absorption in medical foams used for hemorrhage control. As a universal model for capillary flow in porous media, the theory demonstrated strong agreement with experimental results, confirming its semi-quantitative accuracy. Minor deviations, likely due to material heterogeneity, were observed and explained, enhancing the theory's applicability to real-world conditions. Our findings underscore the universality of the Lucas-Washburn framework and provide valuable insights for optimizing the design of medical foams, ultimately contributing to more effective bleeding control solutions in clinical applications.