PORTABLE FLUID INFUSION/WARMING DEVICE FOR HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK

A MAJOR CAUSE OF COMBAT DEATH IS RAPID HEMORRHAGE. WE PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPACT PORTABLE SYSTEM FOR RAPID INFUSION AND WARMING OF CRYSTALLOID FLUID OR BLOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR VOLUME REPLACEMENT IN HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK. THE SYSTEM WILL BE CAPABLE OF INFUSION RATES EXCEEDING 1 LITER PER MINUTE AND WILL UTILIZE UNIQUE POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY FOR HEATING THE INFUSATE FLUID IN A MUCH MORE COMPACT AND LIGHT WEIGHT PACKAGE THAN HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN AVAILABLE. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED TO OPERATE FROM BATTERY OR VEHICLE POWER AND TO FUNCTION IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT A "WARM UP" PERIOD. IN PHASE I WE WILL DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY BY DEVELOPING AND TESTING A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM USING OUR HIGH FREQUENCY MAGNETICALLY COUPLED HEAT EXCHANGER INCORPORATED INTO A SIMPLE INFUSION SYSTEM. USING THE PROTOTYPE WE WILL INVESTIGATE THERMAL EFFICIENCY, AND UNIFORMITY OF INFUSATE HEATING WHILE MINIMIZING SYSTEM WEIGHT. IN PHASE II A COMPLETE INFUSION/WARMING SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED WITH MORE SOPHISTICATED FLOW AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL, USER INTERFACE, FILTRATION, AIR DETECTION, AND INTEGRAL POWER SOURCE. IN ADDITION TO ITS MILITARY APPLICATIONS, THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE APPLICATIONS TO TRAUMA IN THE CIVILIAN SECTOR.