ARMY AL&T


USER TESTED


USAMMDA works in theater to ensure warfighter health and safety.


by Jeffrey M. Soares “This experience


has allowed us to incorporate user input to inform fielding decisions— to make sure that we develop products that meet the warfighters’ needs.


” T


he U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s (USAMMDA) project management offices have seen success recently with medical prod- ucts and devices, ranging from tafenoquine—the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prophylactic drug for malaria


in nearly two decades—to the Laboratory Assay for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which is the first-ever blood-based assay to detect instances of mild TBI. In current conflicts overseas, loud blasts are common because of the ease of creating impro- vised explosive devices, which are used by militants as roadside bombs to attack allied forces. Te Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports that since 2000, more than 417,000 service members worldwide have been diagnosed as having TBI, with an average of more than 24,000 cases occurring annually over the past decade.


In light of this, USAMMDA’s Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office (WBH PMO) is charged with the development of diagnostic and treatment capa- bilities to aid military TBI patients. Te effectiveness of the Laboratory Assay for Traumatic Brain Injury device has prompted the military to work closely with its commercial partners to develop a handheld version of the unit, which may be used by military medical personnel closer to point of injury on the battlefield. In addi- tion, USAMMDA is continually searching for medical products and devices that may offer additional value in the detection of TBI.


In creating a tangible device, however, the USAMMDA team understands the impor- tance of reiterative testing and evaluation to achieve a final product ready for fielding. A critical component of the standard testing process involves gaining feedback from frontline users who will be the recipients of these essential items. Tis task is overseen by USAMMDA’s product managers, who help to guide and expedite the process to ensure the welfare of our service members throughout the world.


https://asc.ar my.mil


127


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196