Appeals Court Stays Judgment in HemCon's Patent Infringement Case

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted HemCon's motion to stay the injunction and final judgment (including the damages award) obtained against it in a patent infringement case brought by Marine Polymer Technologies, Inc. The stay halts any enforcement of the lower court’s injunction and damages award while HemCon attempts to have both overturned on appeal, a process expected to take on the order of 12 to 18 months to complete. As a result, HemCon can continue selling its chitosan-based wound care products and will not be required to pay financial damages during this appeal process.
"HemCon is extremely pleased that the appellate court agreed that HemCon could continue selling its product line during the pendency of the appeal. We will urge on appeal that the lower court decision finding infringement was incorrect, in part because the Marine Polymer patent is invalid when properly interpreted," said John W. Morgan, HemCon's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The stay is a victory for HemCon's customers, including military personnel whose lives are being saved by HemCon products, and hospital patients who benefit from reduced infection risk and better hemostasis."
The stay is the most recent decision in the patent infringement action instituted by Marine Polymer Technologies, Inc. "In imposing the stay, the Court of Appeals concluded that HemCon had shown a strong likelihood of succeeding on appeal, or at least a substantial case on the merits and that any potential harm weighed in HemCon’s favor," Morgan explained. "We believe the appeals court will ultimately agree with our conclusion that our products do not infringe the Marine Polymer patent. We look forward to further presenting our case to the Court.”
HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc. (www.hemcon.com) founded in 2001, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative technologies to control bleeding and infection resulting from trauma or surgery. HemCon products are designed for use by military and civilian first responders as well as medical professionals in hospital, dental and clinical settings where rapid control of bleeding is of critical importance. HemCon is headquartered in Portland, Ore., with additional commercial operations in Ireland and the Czech Republic.

HemCon to ask court to reverse $29.4M patent award

An Oregon company plans to challenge a $29.4 million jury award to a Massachusetts company for patent infringement over a product derived from shrimp shells or algae that can be used to control bleeding. HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. of Portland says it makes a material called chitosan from shrimp shells while Marine Polymer Technologies in Danvers, Mass., makes it from algae. The chitosan is used in bandages to help control bleeding and infection from trauma or surgery and to treat battlefield wounds for the military. Last week, a U.S. District Court jury in Concord, N.H., ruled in favor of Marine Polymer in a patent infringement lawsuit it filed against Hemcon four years ago. Sergio Finkielsztein, president and CEO of Marine Polymer, praised the verdict and said the company will seek a permanent injunction against HemCon. "Our company was built on innovation, and new technologies we have developed since the early 90s and continue to develop to this day," Finkielszstein said. But John Morgan, president and CEO of HemCon, said the verdict would allow the patent to cover shrimp-based chitosan compounds that were publicly disclosed by others well before the Marine Polymer patent application was filed. "We believe the jury's decision is wrong and will ask the court to review and reverse it," Morgan said Wednesday. He also said the U.S. Patent Office granted a HemCon request for re-examination of the patent last November and the agency made an initial determination last month to reject Marine Polymer's claims. Morgan said the Patent Office indicated its willingness to allow the claims of the patent if Marine Polymer would limit them to algae. "There were broad claims in the patent that looked at all forms of materials," Morgan said. "But clearly the process and material employed by Marine Polymer is not what we used."

IIT-K develops polymer to stop bleeding

Researchers at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bio Engineering of IIT-Kanpur claim to have developed a polymer which when applied to a fresh wound stops bleeding within five seconds. They believe the Natural Polymer Sponge (NPS), which has been developed from a chemical found in crab shells, would revolutionise medical treatment, as excessive bleeding has often been the main cause of fatalities.

“A polymer sponge that can promote haemostasis (the process to prevent the flow of blood from an injured body part) has not been developed anywhere else,” said Ashok Kumar Kaul, Associate Professor in the Bio-Sciences and Bio-Engineering Department. Kaul said the haemostasis creams and ointments available in the market provide only partial relief. “In fact, they are ineffective in controlling bleeding in major injuries,” he added. After conducting animal trials, the IIT-K team is now looking forward for clinical testing of the product and is also planning to apply for a patent.

The NPS is made from a substance called chitin extracted from crab shells at -20 degrees Celsius using “cryogelation technology”. The chitin is modified into another substance called chitosan. “Using dextran and other polysaccharides, chitosan is developed into NPS. The sponge has several pores which have the capacity to absorb large volumes of blood to promote haemostasis,” said Kaul.

The biodegradable NPS is in the form of a 1-mm thin sheet but can be different as per requirement. “We have designed the NPS to have a similar impact in all seasons,” Kaul said, adding that they will look for collaboration with foreign institutes for further tests if required.

Celox - Trauma Gauze Video

Hemcon Expands Hemostasis Line

Hemcon announced Tuesday that its flexible hemostatic dressing HemCon Patch is now available for clinical settings. The dressing can be used for external, temporary control of bleeding during interventional and diagnostic cardiac catheterization, interventional radiology, electrophysiology and dialysis access procedures. Portland-based HemCon said offering diagnostic and interventional patients a quick, safe and comfortable post-procedural experience, the HemCon Patch delivers a flexible hemostatic solution where rapid arterial hemostasis is critically important to ensure quality care and safety. It reliably and quickly stops bleeding, minimizes risk of artery damage and frees up medical personnel. As one of the only hemostatic products to obtain an FDA antibacterial barrier claim, the HemCon Patch provides a barrier against a wide spectrum of micro-organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Celox-A delivery system

Just recieved the Video of Celox-A delivery system I would like to share with you all below and the Pdf downloadable from Adrive and verified safe HERE

HemCon Medical Technologies Leverages Sangui Technology to Expand its Wound Care Products Line

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. today announced it will use Witten, Germany-based SanguiBioTech GmbH’s ChitoSkin technology platform to help further innovations in hemostatic bandages and wound care dressings for the acute care market.
Under the terms of the agreement, HemCon will leverage Sangui’s technology platform to enhance and expand its product offerings for surgical and wound care. HemCon developed the chitosan-based hemostatic HemCon® Bandages and ChitoFlex® dressings that are used by military and medical first responders as well as health care professionals around the globe.
“We explored a wide variety of technology platforms to add to our new surgical and wound care offerings and feel that the Sangui chitosan platform offers great opportunities to enhance our solutions,” said John W. Morgan, president and CEO of HemCon. “We’re committed to continuing our investment to develop new choices for medical professionals and consumers. This agreement is an important step forward in realizing the full potential of chitosan-based products.”
SanguiBioTech GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sangui BioTech International, Inc. Sangui BioTech International focuses on vascular and hemostasis products. The firm specializes in developing oxygen-carrying agents to treat blocked arteries, anemia or acute blood loss through SanguiBioTech GmbH.
“We are proud to enter into an agreement with HemCon and offer our chitosan platform to help innovate new surgical and wound care products,” said Sangui Managing Director Hubertus Schmelz. “There is definitely a demand for products that can adapt to specific medical needs, especially as it relates to wound care.”
HemCon retains exclusive worldwide market and distributing rights for products developed under this structured financial agreement. HemCon will submit developed products for U.S. approvals to the FDA, while Sangui will prepare documentation for registration in the European Union.

Chitosan

There's an interesting research paper on Chitosan HERE its a 3.5Mb Pdf and verified safe download from adrive.

Celox

CELOX is an innovative new hemostat designed to bond with specific sites which are present on the surface of red blood cells and platelets to make a gel like clot /plug. This process is totally different from the body’s normal clotting mechanisms. CELOX is a proprietary blend of materials covered by 3 international patent applications.
CELOX contains a natural marine polymer, Chitosan.
Chitosan is a highly purified polysaccharide derivative of shrimp shells.
Chitosan is used widely and is in such products as bandages, medical devices diet aids and some cosmetics. It is an approved food ingredient.

HemCon completes acquisition of Alltracel Pharmaceuticals

HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. said Wednesday it has completed the acquisition of Dublin, Ireland-based Alltracel Pharmaceuticals in a cash-for-stock deal.
The purchase occurred through Castlerise Investments Ltd., a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of HemCon. Alltracel will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of HemCon and maintain its headquarters in Dublin. Combined revenue is expected to exceed $100 million.
Alltracel licenses their proprietary technologies across a wide spectrum of industries in the wound care markets. In addition, Alltracel offers private-label oral care products licensed in Europe through the Butler and GUM brands. The acquisition expands distribution opportunities for HemCon's KytoStat Bandage and other products in Europe while also expanding Alltracel's oral care products and medical technologies in the United States.
"We look forward to combining our resources and continuing to innovate," said John W. Morgan, CEO of Portland-based HemCon, in a statement. "The acquisition further strengthens HemCon's ability to develop health care breakthroughs and life-saving technologies on a global scale."
HemCon develops and makes products that control bleeding and infection resulting from trauma or surgery.
The company's signature product is a bandage -- made from material extracted from shrimp shells called chitosan -- that bonds to severe wounds within minutes of being applied.
Source Portland Business Journal

U.S. Army Selects HemCon Medical Technologies as Sole Source Partner to Develop Lyophilized Human Plasma

The U.S. Army has selected HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. as the sole source to develop, test and secure FDA approval for a lyophilized (freeze-dried) human plasma (LHP) product and delivery system. The $15.4 million multi-year cooperative agreement will support the research and development of the new process. The project is expected to be complete in 2010.
The use of plasma as a resuscitation fluid, according to early U.S. Army studies, has shown to significantly reduce battlefield mortality. In many situations, use of fresh frozen human plasma is limited by storage requirements and the short shelf-life for thawed plasma. As a life-saving measure for coagulopathy, the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has identified the LHP initiative as a high priority. The new LHP product and delivery system will offer individual units of single source donor plasma that are safe and easy to carry, reconstitute and administer.
HemCon previously partnered with the U.S. Army to develop the HemCon® Bandage. Since 2003, HemCon has produced and distributed the HemCon Bandage and ChitoFlex® dressings for the U.S. Army and other military and civilian medical professionals. The chitosan-based hemostatic dressings, manufactured using a proprietary process, are currently included in every U.S. soldier’s battlefield first-aid kit. The success of the HemCon Bandage led to improved civilian patient care when the bandage moved to acute care facilities in 2007.
Leveraging a core competency in lyophilization, HemCon plans to do the same with its LHP initiative – improve battlefield and civilian care. Success of the LHP process on the battlefield could mean improved care for civilians. Responsible for more than 160,000 deaths annually, the National Trauma Institute reports that trauma is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for individuals ages one to 44. An LHP product and delivery system that is readily available at the point of care could significantly decrease mortality for these patients. Another advantage of LHP is the ability to reconstitute in less than 2 minutes; where waiting 20 minutes for fresh frozen plasma to thaw – may be the difference between life and death.
“This is a crucial initiative, and HemCon is honored to be the choice of the U.S. Army,” said John W. Morgan, president and CEO of HemCon. “Developing a lyophilized human plasma product and delivery system will be a significant evolution for battlefield and civilian trauma care. It’s also an important evolution for HemCon as we expand our presence in global health care markets. As the use of LHP carries into the civilian medical space, I believe we will see increased survival rates in patients treated at smaller hospitals and numerous trauma centers where currently, fresh frozen plasma is not readily available.”
Source BusinessWire

Shrimp-shell wound healant to get space test

A biopolymer produced from shrimp shells that has proved invaluable in treating wounded soldiers will be put to a new test in August – aboard the space shuttle Endeavour.
A commercial experiment will assess how the material, called chitosan, affects human immune cells in space, where they are less responsive than on the ground.
The US Army equips its troops in Iraq with chitosan-laden bandages both to speed blood clotting in fresh wounds, and to stop bacterial infections. NASA does not expect astronauts to fight battles in space, but has to plan for accidents, and worries that slow healing or infection of wounds could imperil long-duration missions to Mars or other distant targets.
The test also could pay dividends on the ground. They are being paid for by Hawaii Chitopure, which makes the highly purified chitosan used in military bandages and hopes to show that chitosan can reduce inflammation, as well as kill bacteria. That could reduce scarring and other harmful byproducts of immune response, says Shenda Baker, a chemist at Harvey Mudd College in California, US, and president of BioSTAR west, the company which will carry out the experiments.
"While mammalian cells don't like microgravity, bacteria grow very well," Baker told New Scientist. The best-known example was the thriving colony of terrestrial bacteria that contaminated the Russian Mir space station so badly that cosmonauts became sick.
Biofilms have also been found on the space shuttle. Without help from materials like chitosan, bacteria could overwhelm mammalian immune systems during long space missions.
Charged exoskeleton
Chitosan is a water-soluble form of chitin, an abundant long-chain natural biopolymer that is a key component of the semi-transparent exoskeletons of arthropods from insects to lobsters, and in the cell walls of fungi.
Some researchers believe natural chitin helps protect arthropods from bacterial infection, important because they lack a conventional immune system. The soluble chitosan carries a positive charge that attracts the negatively charged membranes of bacteria, stopping them from multiplying and in some cases killing them. The charge also initiates clotting of red blood cells.
Baker's experiment will monitor the behavior of human monocytes, a type of white blood cell that rapidly responds to wounds and infections.
Three sets of monocyte samples will fly on the shuttle – one mixed with fragments of bacterial cell walls known to trigger immune reactions, one mixed with chitosan alone, and a third mixed with both chitosan and bacterial fragments. Microarrays will monitor activity of the monocytes, including the genes activated, proteins produced, and short chains of RNA that mediate gene activity.
By comparing the space cultures with identical samples from the ground, Baker and her colleagues at California-based BioSTAR West hope to learn how the immune system turns on and off in both environments.
Their key goal is to see if chitosan can stop the bacterial threat well enough to block the immune system's normal inflammatory response, which causes scarring and other harmful effects.

Life after death for empty shells: Crustacean fisheries create a mountain of waste shells, made of a strong natural polymer, chitin. Now chemists are helping to put this waste to some surprising uses

Chitin is the main structural component of the shells of crustaceans, molluscs and insects. It also makes up parts of the jaws and body spines of certain worms, and is found in the cell walls of fungi and in some algae. Henri Bracannot was the first to describe chitin - he called it fungine - as long ago as 1821. We now know that it is a natural polymer that strongly resembles cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls. Chitin is almost as common as cellulose - an estimated billion tonnes are synthesised every year - and this ubiquity holds a clue to some of its potential uses.
At first sight, however, chitin does not look at all promising. Chemically, it is a fairly dull molecule. Like cellulose, it can be broken down by enzymes, but only slowly, and it will not dissolve in most ordinary solvents like water or alcohol. It is usually bound to porteins to form large, complex molecules and its purity varies enormously. Even chitin from the same animal varies in the length of its molecular chain, its cyrstalinity, and in the number of acetyl (CH3C)O groups hanging off the chain.
But in 1959, a chemist called Rouget found that heating chitin with a very concentrated sodium hydroxide converts it to a related and much more useful chemical, called chitosan. This reaction removes some of the acetyl groups from the molecular chain, leaving behind complete amino (NH2) groups (see Figure). Increasing the temperature or the strength of the sodium hydroxide solution removes more acetyl groups. In this way chemists can produce a range of chitosan molecules with different properties and applications. Unlike chitin, chitosan dissolves easily in acidic solvents like acetic acid.
Chitosan's versatility depends almost entirely on its amino (NH2) groups. When dissolved in acids, these groups add proton, becoming (NH3)+ and giving chitosan a positive electrical charge overall. This makes the molecule extremely effective for removing negatively charged particles that are dissolved or suspended in water, such as lignosulphates and natural tannins. Chitsan form ionic, or sometimes hydrogen bonds with these molecules, desotabilising the suspension so that they precipitate out as insoluable solids.
One of the earliest uses of chitin was to purify waste water from the processing of shellfish. Processing plants produce contaminated water as well as solid waste, such as shells and viscera. Crustacean fisheries are very wasteful - up to 85 per cent by weight of each animal is thrown away, which amounts to over 3 million tonnes of solid waste every year. Some fisheries already use chitin derived from the solid waste to purify their own waste water. A study of one crawfish processing plant in Louisiana in 1989 showed that chitosan derived from the waste could be used to remove 97 per cent of the solids suspended in waste water this way.
Now some companies are promoting chitin for the clarification and purification of other types of contaimined water. Chitin and chitosan are also good chelators. This means they can bind at several points, rather like the grip of a claw, to metal atoms in solution, especially heavy metals such as mercury, lead and uranium, although no one knows quite how. This useful property could be exploited as the basis of a method for treating waste water that is toxic or radioactive. Japanese firms such a Kurita Industries sell chitosan as a flocculant. So does the Norwegian company Protan, which recommends it for the clarification of swimming pools and spas as its flocculates microbes and removes metals.
Waste-water treatment is only one of many suggested and proven uses for chitin and chitosan. Of these, cosmestics is one of the longest established. Chitin was first used in cosmetics in 1969; more recently, Japanese and German companies have been developing chitosan salts - soluble in water, and formed simply by treating chitosan with acid - for use is cosmetics for skin and hair. The German cosmetics giant Wella has been researching chitosan as hair treatment for 10 years. It has experimented with the film-forming properties of chitosan in hair sprays and nail varnishes and uses its thickening effects in creams and conditioners. In Japan, at least five companies manufacture chitin and chitosan, mainly from crab shells.
Chito-Bios of Ancona in Italy sell N-carboxybutyl chitosan, under the trade name EvalsanR, for shampoos, bath foams, liquid soaps, toothpaste, personal-hygiene detergent and face creams. The company uses this derivative of chitin as a replacement for hyaluronic acid, a common component of creams and lotions. It emphasises that chitosan is 'more than a comestic ingredient' and could be useful for dressing wounds, for surgery and dentistry.
But perhaps the greatest potential application is paper manufacture. Adding only 1 per cent by weight of chitin to pulp increases the strength of the paper, speeds up the rate at which water drains from the pulp and increases the quantity of fibres retained when making sheets of paper. So manufacturers can use cheaper, weaker fibres, without reducing quality, while saving up to 90 per cent of the energy they use to beat the pulp. Chitin also makes the paper easier to print on.
Paper that incorporates chitin has greatly improved wet strength - an advantage for diposable nappies, shopping bags and paper towels. But these benefits must be offset against the problems of supply. The current world production of chitin from all sources would be overwhelmed by an industry which in 1986 produced 172 million tonnes of newsprint. Any move towards the general use of chitin in paper manufacture would require a huge increase in chitin production. Where would it come from?
Maintaining fisheries of shellfish or molluscs just to harvest their chitin is unlikely to be economic, as they only contain around 1 per cent chitin by weight. This leaves two possible sources of chitin: shellfish waste and fungal fermentation. The pharmaceutical industries of most countries already exploit molecules, including vitamin C and penicillin. The process also produces large quantities of chitinous waste - estimates are difficult to find, but in 1977, one researcher gave a figure of 790,000 tonnes. Unlike shellfish waste, this source of chitin is predictable - a set input will produce a set output - and its quality can be controlled.
Several countries, including the US, Japan, Norway, Italy and India, already have chitin/chitosan plants based on shellfish waste as their source. The little they produce is used by the pharmaceutical industry and in the treatment of waste waters. There are no reliable data for how much chitin should in theory be available from crustacean fisheries, but according to the FAO's latest figures, in 1987 the world crustacean harvest was 3.69 million tonnes. Assuming chitin forms 1 per cent of the wet weight of a crustacean, on average, we are squandering about 36,700 tonnes of chitin each year as waste from the processing of shrimps, prawns, lobsters and crabs. The main problem is that it would be unecomomic to collect the waste from many small processing plants, so this source can only be tapped where large quantities of crustaceans are being handled.
The largest potential source of animal chitin is the zooplankton that inhabit the upper layers of the sea. But only one crustacean which could be loosely considered a member of the zooplankton is currently being harvested to any significant degree. This is the Antarctic krill. In 1989/90, fishing fleets caught 375,000 tonnes, making it the largest crustacean fishery in the world ('Who's counting on krill?', New Scientist, 11 November 1989). The krill fishery is only marginally economic. Most of the catch is either processed for its tail meat, which is destined for human consumption, or is used whole for aquaculture.
Peeling krill is no easy task and leaves 85 per cent by weight as waste. Of this waste, 85 per cent is recoverable protein. Almost a quarter of the deproteinised waste is chitin, compared wiht 3.2 per cent in the whole animal. About 90 per cent of this chitin can be recovered by conventional extraction techniques. This is half as efficient again as from crab chitin, although the figure would not be so high on board a trawler.
The fishery will probably expand from its current levels and the total krill stock in the southern ocean is now thought to be between about 100 and 400 million tonnes. Several millions tonnes of this could be harvested annually. Such a catch would dominate the total world curstacean catch of about 4 million tonnes and would be a major potential source of chitin. Other sources include squid, whose pens are 40 per cent chitin and largely free of minerals and bivalve molluscs, whose shells oftain contain a high proportion of minerals. (Minerals add to the weight of material and therefore the cost of processing.) Insects have chitin but it is quinone tanned, which makes it difficult to extract, and there is no consistent source.
So it seems that the major source of chitin in the future will probably be biotechnology rather than seafood waste. The infant chitin/chitosan industry will probably develop by using cheap supplies of waste materials, but if demand increased sufficiently, manufacturers could develop genetically engineered microorganisms to produce these useful molecules. Cultured strains of microorganisms will be able to produce chitin with desired properties under controlled conditions and in fixed quantities. This would sever the link between chitin production and the widely fluctuating market for protein. Chitin is easily extracted from fungal hyphae and some species even produce up to 14 per cent by weight of chitosan. Culturing chitosan-producing strains would eliminate the deacetylation step that converts chitin to chitosan. Although this step is fairly simple, it makes chitosan nearly twice as expensive to product as chitin.
Certain algae produce pure chitin in the form of extracellular fibres which can be between 10 and 15 per cent of the dry weight of the cells and can be readily separated from the non-chitinous structures with a yield of 80 per cent. But these algae grow only slowly under normal conditions. Researchers hope that advances in biotechnology will give them fast-growing strains that retain large amounts of chitin.
Chitin and its derivatives are shaping up to be as versatile as plastics. Unfortunately, although chitin and its derivatives can do many things well, there are few functions that they alone can carry out. Chitin-based products usually have to compete with those produced by established biochemical technologies. On the other hand, a 'natural' material that uses up waste, is biodegradable and does not damage the environment may have a bright future.
* * *
Industry shells out for chitin
Many chemical, medical and pharmaceutical companies are now researching and in some cases developing and patenting chitin-based products. Protan, a Norwegian company, has been producing and selling chitin and chitosan from shellfish waste since 1984. It lists 13 broad areas for its products, from 'personal care' to detoxification of industrial waste.
Other applications include treatment of sewage, dairy waste, paper mill effluent, food-factory waste, liquid radioactive waste and purfication of drinking water. In Japan about 500 tonnes of chitin are used every year as a water purifier, and the US Environmental Protection Agency rates chitosan as acceptable for the purfication of drinking water.
Using chitosan to remove suspended solids from food-processing wastes, such as cheese whey, has an additional benefit. As well as purified effluent, the method yields coagulated by-products rich in proteins which can be added to feed for domestic animals. This seems to make the feed more digestible.
Chitin and its derivatives also have some very useful properties in the medical field. Between 1968 and 1975 researchers working for the American pharmaceuticals company Lescarden of Goshen, New York, filed five patents for the use of chitin and chitosan to accelerate wound healing. They found the chitin mats, fibres, sponges, sutures and films were much better than standard cartilage-based ones. The pharmaceuticals company Katakurachikkarin based in Hokkaido makes an artifical skin - a chitosan-collagen composite - that appears to enhance recovery from surgical wounds or burns. In 1983, doctors working for the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Omaha discovered that chitosan could also speed up blood clotting and used it to reduce the loss of blood following blood vessel grafts.
Chitosan can be produced in numerous forms - powder, paste, solution, film, fibre or spray - giving manufacturers huge scope for incorporating it into bandages, dressings, salves, sutures or disposable contact lenses. The body does not seem to reject these and they break down slowly to harmless carbohydrates, carbon dioxide and water. Because chitosan is absorbed completely in the body, it is an ideal carrier for drugs that must be released slowly. After tests on rats in 1978, some Japanese researchers claimed that chitosan reduces serum cholestrol. In Japan you can now buy biscuits and noodles sold for the alleged benefits of the chitin they contain.
The food industry is developing ways of exploiting the emulsifying properties of chitosan to make mayonnaise and peanut butter. Chitosan could eventually find its way into an area where non-toxic, high strength films are required, form sausage casings to oven wraps and food packaging.
Some researchers even think these chemicals will be the basis of a biodegradable plastic. Technics, the hi-fi manufacturer, of Schizuoka in Japan has even made the vibrators of flat-panel speakers from chitosan, an idea which is supposedly based on the acoustic properties of crickets' wings.