Charles River Analytics Inc., developer of intelligent systems solutions, has received additional funding to develop its Tourniquet Master Training (TMT) system. TMT provides training on tourniquet technology to Warfighters who treat injuries on the battlefield. The two-and-a-half-year contract was awarded by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command with a value of $1 million. Charles River’s partners on TMT include the University of Wisconsin, Boston Engineering, and Compression Works LLC.
Soldiers on the Expert Field Medical Badge certification course prepare a mannequin for evacuation. (Image source: Defense.gov)
Most Warfighters who die from combat wounds do so before they arrive at a medical treatment facility, highlighting the importance of trauma care on the battlefield. Recent lifesaving advances in battlefield medical treatments have dramatically increased casualty survival. This is especially true when medics receive state-of-the art training to accompany rapid advances in medicine.
For example, some injuries cannot be treated by traditional tourniquets or gauzes, such as those in junctional areas, including the abdomen or pelvis. New types of junctional tourniquets have been developed to treat these types of injuries, but technology to train medical personnel on how to apply them is limited.
To fill this gap, Charles River is developing the TMT system to teach, assess, and provide refresher training on these new tourniquets, such as the Abdominal Aortic Junctional Tourniquet™ (AAJT), the Junctional Emergency Treatment Tool™ (JETT), the Combat Ready Clamp™ (CRoC), and the SAM® Junctional Tourniquet (SJT). TMT addresses a critical need in lifesaving training—because these types of injuries are rare, there are few opportunities for practice.
“TMT lets medical personnel practice using junctional tourniquets and get objective feedback on their performance,” explained Benjamin Bauchwitz, Technical Lead on the TMT effort at Charles River. “This training is key for challenging battlefield environments, where correct use of these tourniquets could stop combat-related deaths.”
Charles River scientists presenting the TMT system at the U.S. Army Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) open house
TMT compliments other techniques and mobile applications Charles River has developed to support Warfighters. Our other efforts in Healthcare Support and Training include medical skills training, therapy and decision support tools, as well as sensor and sensing technologies.
This work is supported by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command under Contract No. W81XWH-17-C-0098. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
