NEW GADGETS HELP ARMY STAY READY TO WIN

A blood container, trauma training mannequin and hand-held digital assistant for a field medic were among the items recognized by the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command as the "Greatest Army Inventions" of the past year.

"The inventions submitted demonstrate the vast experience within the Army laboratory community as a sincere commitment of these laboratories to improving the readiness of our Army," said Lt. Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army's deputy chief of staff for operations and the final selection authority for the program.

The Golden Hour Container was created by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. This container can transport red blood cell units without the use of batteries, ice or electricity. It was designed to transport the blood cell units within military facilities and to the Forward Surgical Teams where delayed evacuation of wounded soldiers can occur. The container is reusable and maintains the contents at the appropriate temperatures for more than 78 hours. While designed specifically for transporting red blood cell units, inventors believe its usefulness will extend to other items such as vaccines and reagents. The container has a carrying strap and comes in Army desert, woodland and Marine camouflage.

VIRGIL Chest Trauma Training System is the invention of the Simulation Group, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. The training system combines the use of a mannequin and a computer-based graphic interface. It is used during training exercises and tracks the internal position of chest darts and chest tubes as well as provides feedback to the user.

The Battlefield Medical Information System-Tactical was designed by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. BMIS-T is similar to a handheld computer with special programming developed to assist deployed medical personnel with diagnosis and treatment. It can be used to record patient clinical encounters and transmit those records to a central repository. The system holds service members' medical records including immunizations, dental and vision records as well as known drug allergies. BMIS-T is programmed with healthcare reference manuals and can provide medical personnel with suggested diagnosis and treatment plans.

Other winning innovations include:

-Agentase Nerve Agent Sensor, a hand-held device that detects nerve agents when pressed against a surface. If a nerve agent chemical weapon is present, a color-developing polymer layer contains an environmentally sensitive indicator that changes from yellow to red/orange within two minutes.

-The BA-8180/U Zinc-Air Battery, which has an extended lifecycle.

-The first antipersonnel round for the Abrams Main Battle Tank.

-The anti-tank for confined space, also called the AT4 CS, a light, recoilless, shoulder-fired, preloaded weapon used for close-range combat. There is a counter mass container on one end of the AT4 CS that reduces overblast, debris and noise.

-An anti-personnel obstacle breaching system to replace the Bangalore Torpedo. It fires a rocket from a 25-meter standoff position, sending a line charge with fragmentation grenades to clear mines and sever wire obstacles.

-The Portable Omni-Directional Well Camera System, designed for inspecting wells, underground caves or vertical passages that are unfit or unsafe for human inspection.

-A mount assembly to provide more security to crews in Humvees.

-The Squad Automatic Weapon Pintle Mount Assembly, which provides soldiers the ability to defend themselves from both sides of a vehicle.

(Information provided by Army News Service.)

From the August 2004 Mercury, an Army Medical Department publication.