The Breakthrough
Oregon-based technology company RevMedx developed XSTAT 30, a $100-device that has been successfully employed by US military since April this year to prevent fatalities due to traumatic injury. It works by stopping serious blood flow by using a syringe that, oddly enough, is filled with sponges that expand upon release.
Now, the FDA had just approved the device for public use, saying in a press statement, "XSTAT 30 is cleared for use in patients at high risk for immediate, life-threatening, and severe hemorrhagic shock and non-compressible junctional wounds, when definitive care at an emergency care facility cannot be achieved within minutes."
It may not be terribly applicable to a vast majority of us, as most probably don't plan on getting shot anytime soon; however, it cannot be denied that this is a handy device to keep around, just in case of an emergency. And sadly, with the ever increasing number of mass shootings, it may be a good idea for organizations to keep a few of these devices close at hand.
The Details
The XSTAT 30 is a 30 mm-diameter syringe that is filled with 92 compressed cellulose sponges covered in an absorbent coating and coagulant. Each tablet-shaped sponge is 9.8 millimeters in diameter and can absorb up to 3 milliliters of blood (or other body fluid).
Once in contact with blood, the sponges expand to 10 times their original size, filling the cavity in approximately 20 seconds, forming a temporary blockage. RevMedx says that the device stops bleeding for up to four hours. For more severe wounds, up to 3 applicators can be used at once.
CEO and President of RevMedx said, "We designed the XSTAT with direct input from military medics and first responders to provide a unique solution to the issue of junctional hemorrhage." Learn more in the video that is embedded below.
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