SOF Critical Care Medical Tools

Special Operation Forces (SOF) operate in remote locations for extended periods and often with out support of conventional military medical support. Improved body armor has protected most vital areas but there are still a number of penetrating injuries to the upper and lower extremities. During the care under fire and tactical field care phase of tactical combat casualty care, SOF medics and operators are required to administer self and buddy-aid to stop or control life threatening hemorrhage. One of the most critically needed items is a tourniquet that can be applied and adjusted by the injured person to himself. The overall objective of this SBIR program is to develop a One Handed Tourniquet (OHT) to assist SOF medics and operators in controlling life-threatening hemorrhage during extended delays in evacuation following battlefield trauma. The Phase II objective is to deliver a device that can be tested under various experimental conditions. This phase will also result in a ruggedized device that can be used under austere far-forward battlefield conditions. The OHT will be designed to enhance functionality and incorporate features for ease of use, including one-handed application, prevention of inadvertent release, and finite control of pressure being applied.