Acoustic Coagulation Cuff Reduces Blood Loss

A prototype ultrasound device limits blood loss and hemorrhagic shock resulting from limb injuries, saving lives in combat zones.

The deep bleeder acoustic coagulation (DBAC) cuff is designed to limit blood loss from penetrating wounds to limbs in fast and slow bleeders, significantly reducing the risk of limb loss and death resulting from irreversible hemorrhagic shock. Capable of accommodating a variety of limbs ranging from the wide male thigh to the slender female arm, ultrasound technology within the cuff automatically detects the location and severity of the bleeding within the limb. This triggers therapeutic ultrasound elements within the cuff to emit and focus high-power energy toward the bleeding sites, speeding coagulation, and halting bleeding at the injury. The device is intended for use by minimally trained operators, curtailing bleeding in a very short time with automatic treatment and power shut-off. The cuff is being designed with field use in mind, requiring a compact, lightweight form with highly integrated electronics. The DBAC is being developed by Siemens Healthcare (Malvern, PA, USA) under an exclusive contract with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, Arlington, VA, USA). Siemens Healthcare will partner with Siemens Corporate Research (SCR, Princeton, NJ, USA), the center for industrial and medical ultrasound at the University of Washington (UW, Seattle, USA), and The Institute for Preclinical Studies (TIPS) at the Texas A&M University (College Station, USA) to develop a prototype within 18 months.

"We are very excited to leverage advanced technologies of Siemens ultrasound such as real-time volumetric imaging and Silicon transducers to realize DARPA's vision for saving lives on the battlefield,” said Richard Chiao, vice president of Siemens Healthcare's ultrasound innovation group. "We believe technologies developed for this new therapeutic application of ultrasound will also benefit civilian care in the future.”

"The challenge of applying our extensive animal modeling expertise to develop this potentially life-saving technology is exciting,” said Matthew W. Miller, DVM, a professor of cardiology and associate director for research at TIPS. "The opportunity to work closely with talented colleagues at SCR and UW will ensure that the likelihood of success is maximized.”

Related Links:
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Siemens Healthcare
Siemens Corporate Research
University of Washington
Texas A&M University