Near-Infrared Medical Imaging: A Potential Game-Changer in Combat Trauma Care and Soldier Survivability
The landscape of warfare is evolving rapidly and the need for innovative solutions to combat trauma care has become increasingly important. Modern-day conflict is characterized by unpredictability and rapid deployment, therefore, the demand for portable medical technology has never been more crucial. The ability to provide immediate and actionable medical insights on the battlefield can not only help reduce complications and improve patient outcomes but potentially save lives.
Today’s conflicts bring new challenges on top of traditional battlefield injuries. Urban warfare, unconventional weapons, and cyber threats are now part of the 21st-century war environment and so the approach to medical care must adapt. The rapid expansion in computer, telecommunication, and medical technology has enabled the development of solutions that may address the unique challenges that combat soldiers and veterans face.
Compact, handheld, and easy-to-operate devices that offer rapid results can assist soldiers in providing high-tech medical care to themselves and their comrades. From field-deployable telemedicine and portable labs to drone-assisted medical evacuation and point-of-care diagnostics, technology is creating a more personalized and intuitive approach to combat trauma care.
SnapshotNIR is a novel, non-invasive, near-infrared imaging device that helps assess tissue viability in seconds. It is lightweight and portable and helps providers track and monitor oxygenation in the wound to evaluate tissue microcirculation and healing progression. The device instantly captures actionable data regarding the availability of oxygenated blood in tissue with a simple, camera-like action, to determine a wound’s healing capacity. In the area of point-of-care diagnostics, Kent Imaging’s SnapshotNIR has the potential to enable the rapid assessment of injuries on the battlefield. The valuable information can guide treatment decisions and improve outcomes for Forward Surgical Teams without the need for hospital facility resources, injections, dyes, or cumbersome, invasive equipment.
“Optimal care of our combat forces is paramount, always”, says U.S Air Force Physician and Veteran Jeffrey A. Niezgoda, MD (USAFA 1981, USUHS 1985). “The future of combat trauma care and further advancements for our highly regarded veteran population can be decidedly enhanced with cutting-edge technology like SnapshotNIR.”
In an ABC news article from December 10, 2023, health and science reporter Mary Kekatos discusses the challenges in limb preservation with Dr. Tom Weiser, a clinical professor of surgery in the field of trauma, critical care, and emergency general surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. Weiser explains that although doctors often try to save a limb, he said that over the past few decades, medical professionals have realized some limbs may be so severely damaged, especially in conflict, that amputation may be more beneficial. He added that it's also important to make this realization quickly to prevent a patient from going through multiple unnecessary surgeries.(1)
As medical practitioners, we know that ‘time is tissue,’ and SnapshotNIR has been producing real quantitative improvements in data from wound care facilities that use the device. For example, statistics from the Mercy Springfield Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center showed a significant 20% increase in healing rates and decreased amputations by almost half after introducing NIRS imaging technology.(2)
When considering the dire outcomes described by Dr. Weiser, it is apparent that tools like Snapshot could make a significant impact on guiding surgeons and providing insights such as adequacy of limb oxygenation for tissue healing and to guide surgical decisions about the level of amputation, if needed. The data from this near-infrared imaging technology, in the hands of a medic during combat, is potentially a very powerful game-changer in combat trauma care and soldier survivability. The rise of mobile devices is revolutionizing the way we deliver healthcare in the military.
Clinical Specialist and veteran, Erin Buchness, states, "I was an Army Nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center from 2005 to 2010. During that time, I treated life-threatening injuries first-hand and the complications that accompanied them. If we had resources like Kent's SnapshotNIR then, I believe we could have implemented stronger soldier-specific treatment plans, improving the care and increasing the morale of Active-Duty Military Members and Veterans alike."
Like any industry or federal organization, the future of soldier and veteran care is marked by the convergence of advanced MedTech and the ever-changing landscape of our modern times. Portable imaging devices like Snapshot empower clinicians and patients alike to take control of their health. From improving a soldier’s survivability of an acute wound in a high-intensity conflict or healing a veteran’s chronic diabetic ulcer and preventing a life-altering amputation, SnapshotNIR can shorten the ‘downtime’ experienced by that individual and change the course of their life.
In 2019, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, together with the Board on Army Research and Development, convened at a workshop to discuss the future of combat trauma care and improving soldier survivability in high-intensity conflicts in 2035.(3) The Department of Defense (DoD) indicated an interest in multiuse, portable, scalable wound care solutions that can address bleeding, infection, burns, and pain management supported ideally by automated mechanisms that enhance Warfighter readiness.(4) The imaging technology used by SnapshotNIR can maximize effectiveness in care by saving time, reducing healthcare costs, and potentially saving lives. Kent Imaging is poised to meet these demands and strives to be at the forefront of pioneering solutions that provide the critical data needed to facilitate effective real-time care.
References:
(1) Advancements in medical care could be saving lives amid conflicts around the world. Innovations such as portable labs are helping save more lives, experts say. By Mary Kekatos. December 10, 2023, 3:02 AM
(2) Mercy Springfield. Amputation stats (2023). www.kentimaging.com
(3)(4) National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Army Combat Trauma Care in 2035: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25724.