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TIAX Awarded Contracts to Create Innovative Medical
Devices for U.S. Army
January 7, 2004 (Cambridge, MA) - TIAX,
a leading collaborative product and technology development firm, today
announced it has been awarded two contracts by the U.S. Department of
Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to devise life-saving
medical devices to be used on the battlefield. The devices, a re-usable
intraosseous infusion device and a portable blood pack, will allow battlefield
medics to provide a higher level of critical care to soldiers in the field.
"We are delighted to be working with the Army and Department of
Defense to develop medical devices that will provide our soldiers in combat
with the highest level of critical care possible," said Kenan Sahin,
president of TIAX. "In addition to aiding our troops, these devices
could be used by other professions, including emergency medical technicians
and public safety officials, to ensure that the public also has the most
advanced medical technologies available."
The projects include:
- Re-Usable Intraosseous Infusion Device
- Intraosseous infusion (an infusion directly into the marrow cavity
of the human bone) is a rapid, reliable method used to achieve access
to the vascular system and infuse critical resuscitation fluids when
a traditional IV cannot be administered. TIAX will develop a compact,
portable device to allow battlefield medics to administer intraosseous
infusions to soldiers who have suffered severe burns or other injuries
that prevent access to veins.
Unlike current intraosseous infusion products, TIAX's device will contain
multiple needles so it can be used several times, as well as a bone-boring
needle, handle/driver, and depth control system. The device will eliminate
the logistical requirements associated with battery operated devices
and will function regardless of storage time or energy requirements.
Although the device is being developed for specific use by battlefield
medics, it could be commercialized for use by emergency medical technicians,
emergency room personnel, and medical practitioners working in trauma
units.
- Medic Blood Pack - Nearly 90% of combat
deaths occur on the battlefield before the wounded person reaches a
medical facility for treatment. TIAX will develop a lightweight mobile
storage container that will be used by Army medics to transport blood,
during extreme battlefield conditions, to soldiers who need life-saving
blood transfusions. The ability to transfuse blood in the field, before
an injured soldier can be evacuated, will enhance both field medical
treatment and increase the survivability of wounded soldiers before
an evacuation can take place.
The current container used to transport and store human Packed Red
Blood Cells (PRBCs) in the battlefield is too heavy for one soldier
to carry for large distances or long periods of time. The design of
the new Medic Blood Pack will be considerably smaller and lighter
than the existing container, allowing for easy transport by a single
soldier. The pack will have the capability to hold five or six units
of PRBCs, while keeping each unit at the desired temperature for 48
to 72 hours, under the most extreme conditions.
The key to TIAX's approach is the use of new, advanced, insulating
materials in conjunction with specially designed chemical "ice-packs"
to create a rugged thin-walled, insulated container that does not
require ice, an external power source or batteries. Another key element
to the approach will be to incorporate TIAX's human factors and industrial
design experience to ensure ease of use and to mitigate fatigue on
the soldier during transport.
Over the past year TIAX has been awarded 13 contracts from the SBIR program.
The SBIR program was established in 1982 to provide increased opportunities
for small business to meet federal research and development needs, increase
employment, foster and encourage participation in technological innovation
by socially and economically disadvantaged persons, and increase private-sector
commercialization of innovations derived from federal research and development.
About TIAX LLC
TIAX LLC (www.tiaxllc.com)
is a leading collaborative product and technology development firm that
accelerates innovation to help its clients create an impact in the market-and
in people's lives. We integrate business, industry, and hands-on technology
expertise to transform ideas into products and problems into solutions.
Formed out of Arthur D. Little's Technology & Innovation business,
TIAX builds on more than a century of breakthrough innovation and client
success using collaborative R&D. TIAX was selected as a Technology
Pioneer 2003 by the World Economic forum and is ISO 9001 certified with
more than 50 research and development laboratories.
For more information contact:
Twig Mowatt
TIAX LLC
(617) 498-7366
mowatt.twig@tiaxllc.com
Kathy O'Donnell
For TIAX LLC
(617) 443-9933 x328
kodonnell@rasky.com
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