BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW
smaller and more rugged to more closely fit the military’s vision for coming con- flicts. Te desire to develop these lighter, leaner capabilities comes from the need to support forward surgical teams in provid- ing life-sustaining care to casualties for up to 72 hours.
In practice, the ECLS can be used by surgical teams to support lung function and to operate as a vital organ substi- tute as well—specifically for kidney and liver function—in casualties with severe injuries. Despite their promise, current iterations of the ECLS are heavy, bulky and extremely difficult to transport effec- tively. However, efforts are underway to reduce the size of the machine from some- thing currently resembling a tall filing cabinet to one resembling a small, hand- portable generator. Further, researchers are attempting to minimize the number of medical staffers required to physically operate the machine—currently five or six people—with the ultimate goal being development of an automated closed-loop organ support system.
And yet, of all these fast-emerging products, it is the development of auton- omous and unmanned capabilities that captures the imagination and perhaps holds the most promise. Such technolo- gies facilitate the synergy of the overall combat effort and allow for the kind of hand-in-glove communication critical for resupply efforts and other maneuvers that ultimately support the warfighter. Imagine, for example, the develop- ment and deployment of military-grade drones charged with carrying blood to far-forward areas. Such technology would allow for the transport of lifesav- ing
capabilities without the potential
human cost of transport. Further still, the greatest and most immediate benefit of such technology may be in deliver- ing damage
control 96 and resuscitation
NO PILOT? NO PROBLEM. This artist’s rendering shows the ARES, under development by DARPA and designed to operate as an unmanned platform capable of transporting up to 3,000 pounds. ARES could carry a range of payload modules, including cargo and life support gear, for delivery to troops in austere battle- fields. (Image courtesy of DARPA)
technologies to the combat service mem- ber at the point of injury.
To that end, and as an example, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) continues work on the Aerial Reconfigurable Embed- ded System (ARES), which has been under development since 2013 and is essentially a massive unmanned drone designed to carry a slew of different mission modules. Able to transport up to 3,000 pounds of supplies, the ARES could make a sizable impact in medical delivery and resupply efforts.
Here also the concept of automated vas- cular access comes into play. Researchers are developing miniaturized robotic units that could potentially be strapped to an injured warfighter’s leg and then—using ultrasound—automatically identify and access the correct vessel in
a casualty’s leg to supply fluids or deliver medication. Automating relatively sim- ple but time-consuming medical tasks like this could save many more lives on the battlefield than before, enabling greater resilience and more fully realiz- ing the sustainability of a smaller, leaner forward unit. Such technology is likely between one and three years away.
CONCLUSION While no future can ever be fully and correctly forecast, we believe the path that CCCRP is charting right now— using the aforementioned technologies and others, too—reveals the blueprint by which to operate. It is a blueprint centered on trauma-based psychologi- cal demands, warfighter requirements, technology and forward-leaning excel- lence in scientific research. It’s how we must compete in a time when the future battlefield may not be as far away as
Army AL&T Magazine
April - June 2018
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