DARPA’s Stasis Foam Set for the Battlefield
In modern medicine the term “Golden Hour” refers to the first
sixty minutes following a traumatic injury. During this hour,
there is the highest likelihood that medical treatment will prevent
death by injury. In the battlefield, abdominal wounds are nearly
impossible to treat as combat medics are unable to detect where
exactly the injuries are or how to stop internal bleeding. In many
cases, the only treatment capable of saving the service member’s
life is to get them to a surgeon, which is not always an option.
In response, Arsenal Medical Inc. and The Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are currently developing a
polyurethane polymer foam which will control internal hemorrhaging and could dramatically reduce the amount of battlefield
casualties due to internal bleeding. DARPA hopes that when
finished, their foam will help the wounded survive during the
critical minutes necessary while transporting a service member
to a proper surgeon.
How does it Work?
The polymer foam is first injected into the abdominal cavity in two liquid phases – a poly
phase and an isocyanate phase. When the liquids combine, they react and expand to 30
times their original volume. As the foam expands, it fills the intact abdominal cavity and
hardens into a dressing that molds itself to the internal organs and resists blood loss (1).
The military had tried similar foam-based solutions in the past but to no success as many
of the foams stuck to tissue and mixed with moving blood. DARPA’ s new foam is capable
of being removed in nearly one piece and in less than one minute after the surgeon’s initial
incision. The foam does not adhere to tissues and only mildly absorbs blood on its surface.
Results
In order to test the foam, Arsenal Medical Inc. chose to work with swine as their anatomy
and size of organs are similar to that of humans. Researchers found it critical that tests were
performed in closed cavities which many feel is a concept that is as revolutionary as the
foam itself as it has never been done before. In their tests, Arsenal Medical Inc. found that
pigs died within 30 minutes without intervention. With their foam, 100 percent survived
an hour and 72 percent survived for close to three hours. While DARPA’ s foam has yet to
be approved for human testing, the results are promising and have many extremely excited
at its potential. Arsenal recently received a $15.5 million Phase II contract award and will
be entering the FDA application process soon in hopes to eventually begin human testing.
Bibliography
(1). Burke, Matthew M. “Stasis Foam for Battlefield Wounds Shows Promise.” Most
Read. Stars and Stripes, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 June 2015.
(2). Szondy, David. “DARPA Foam Fights Internal Bleeding.” DARPA Foam
Fights Internal Bleeding. Gizmag, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 01 July 2015.
(3). https://www.flickr.com/photos/armymedicine/6946337205/
(4). https://www.flickr.com/photos/thenationalguard/14841872914/