07.24.14
Wilsonville, Ore.-based RevMedx Inc. has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a device that stems internal bleeding on the battlefield using injectable sponges. The company plans to make the device available for battlefield use later this year.
“This will be an important new treatment option for our nation’s military to treat injured soldiers who may not be in close proximity to a medical facility,” Christy Foreman, director of Device Evaluation at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.
The U.S. Army gave RevMedx $5 million in grants to develop a solution to the problem of hemorrhaging wounds. Uncontrolled external hemorrhage is the leading cause of death on the battlefield.
Bullets, knives or shrapnel can cause penetrating wounds at the spot where the legs or arms meet the torso that can’t be treated by compression.
XStat injects a group of small, rapidly-expanding sponges into a wound cavity using a syringe-like applicator. The sponges expand to fill the cavity within 20 seconds of contact, creating a temporary barrier to blood flow. They've been shown to be more effective than gauze.
XStat can be used for up to four hours until surgical care becomes available.
RevMedx also is working with Oregon Health & Science University to develop a version of XStat to stop postpartum bleeding, with a possible application in developing countries.
“This will be an important new treatment option for our nation’s military to treat injured soldiers who may not be in close proximity to a medical facility,” Christy Foreman, director of Device Evaluation at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.
The U.S. Army gave RevMedx $5 million in grants to develop a solution to the problem of hemorrhaging wounds. Uncontrolled external hemorrhage is the leading cause of death on the battlefield.
Bullets, knives or shrapnel can cause penetrating wounds at the spot where the legs or arms meet the torso that can’t be treated by compression.
XStat injects a group of small, rapidly-expanding sponges into a wound cavity using a syringe-like applicator. The sponges expand to fill the cavity within 20 seconds of contact, creating a temporary barrier to blood flow. They've been shown to be more effective than gauze.
XStat can be used for up to four hours until surgical care becomes available.
RevMedx also is working with Oregon Health & Science University to develop a version of XStat to stop postpartum bleeding, with a possible application in developing countries.