A Medical Device Daily

TIAX (Cambridge, Massachusetts), a collaborative product and technology development firm, said it has been awarded a Phase II contract by the Department of Defense (DoD) to continue the development of an advanced critical care tourniquet. This contract is the continuation of work TIAX began in 2003 when it was awarded a Phase I contract to begin development of the tourniquet.

Both contracts were awarded to TIAX through the DoD's Small Business Innovative Research program.

As part of its Phase I contract, TIAX designed a prototype of the tourniquet with enhanced functionality to better address bleeding from an arm or leg injury, one of the top causes of preventable combat fatalities suffered by soldiers. According to a report titled “Tactical Medical Training for Commanders,“ 60% of preventable battlefield deaths are attributable to bleeding from a wound in the extremities.

The Phase II contract will involve extensive testing, end-user reviews and further design enhancements of the device. The result will be a production-ready tourniquet that incorporates a number of advanced features, including one-hand application, prevention of inadvertent release and finite pressure control.

“Since members of the Special Operations Forces may not have immediate access to comprehensive medical support, they require advanced tools that can be employed quickly on the battlefield to effectively increase their chances of survival,“ said Kenan Sahin, president of TIAX. “We are honored to receive this Phase II contract from DoD to continue our work on this life-saving medical device.“

TIAX was formed out of Arthur D. Little's Technology & Innovation business.