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Philips Is Working On Saving Soldiers` Lives

Injured soldiers often die on the battlefield from internal bleeding before they can reach any medical care. Scientists are developing now a portable ultrasound set that could be used without a doctor`s assistance to spot and stop such life-threatening blood flow. Philips Research has received funding from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, to develop an ultrasound device for military use in the coming years.

Michael Pashley, a research department head for ultrasound imaging and therapy at Philips Research, said: "It has potential for saving lives on the battlefield, but we also see great potential for this technology in the civilian marketplace, in which maybe one day you can find this in an ambulance".

The main use of ultrasound technology that we know today is producing images of unborn babies, but it has many other medical uses, including tumor treatment. For the military use, Philips and the University of Washington are developing a lightweight cuff device and portable ultrasound pack that will carry a power supply and a computerized system that will automatically control the emitting sound waves. The device would be wrapped around a soldier`s wounded area, emit the sound waves and stanch any internal bleeding until the victim could receive a medical care.