GovWire

The University of Strathclyde has received Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) funding to develop and test a novel blood salvage device to minimise blood loss in severely injured personnel in the field.

The device is able to directly return the blood lost due to open injury to the casualty, or to concentrate the blood and return it in the form of concentrated blood cells.

The technology can be easily deployed in the field and is independent of electrical power. In addition, once the casualty has been received at a hospital location, the device can be transferred to a base station platform and used as a conventional blood salvage device.

The device could ultimately reduce the need for donor blood transfusions in the treatment of injured personnel. Patents have been filed and a business partner secured to commercialise the technology with the objective of deploying the device under clinical conditions.

Professor Terry Gourlay, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde says:

The funding support we received from CDE enabled us to develop prototype devices, test these and secure the interest of a commercial partner to take our life saving technology closer to clinical deployment.

About CDE

CDE funds novel, high-risk, high-potential-benefit research. We work with the broadest possible range of science and technology providers, including academia and small companies, to develop cost-effective capabilities for UK armed forces and national security.

CDE is part of Dstl.

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