Shifting Gears - Medical Technology of the Battlefield's Future

Japanese robot suit just about production ready

The countdown to the day that you can buy your very own robot exoskeleton for whatever devious uses you can dream up is getting closer and closer. Tsukuba University engineering professor Yoshiyuki Sankai's HAL robot suit is apparently pretty close to production ready, with up to 20 of the bad boys to be produced by next year and 400-500 in 2008. The suits, designed to help in any number of situations where your puny human muscles are too pathetically weak to get the job done, will cost an estimated $42,000 to $59,000. If you just want to take it for a test spin, they'll be up for rent for about $592 a month. I personally can't wait until the price comes down low enough to get these things stocked at Wal-Mart and the inevitable exoskeleton ultimate fighting league is formed. — Adam Frucci

Source: Sci Fi.com
Source: Via Engadget

The possibilities in rescue operations are endless.

Liquid bandage stops bleeding instantly

Look out, Band-Aids — you're about to become obsolete. Researchers at MIT and Hong Kong University have come up with a liquid that can seal wounds in seconds. Composed of peptides (fragments of proteins), the liquid forms a gel when applied to an open wound, quickly stemming the flow of any blood. And there's no need to worry about removing the gel, since it breaks down into amino acids as the wound heals, aiding tissue repair. No waste, no side effects — nice. So far the new liquid doctor has had only a few lab rats as patients, but when it makes its way to humans, it could revolutionize surgeries by making it much easier to control bleeding. Yeah, it's not quite as good as spontaneous regeneration, but we're still impressed.

— Peter Pachal

Source: Sci Fi.com

Abstract

Hemostasis is a major problem in surgical procedures and after major trauma. There are few effective methods to stop bleeding without causing secondary damage. We used a self-assembling peptide that establishes a nanofiber barrier to achieve complete hemostasis immediately when applied directly to a wound in the brain, spinal cord, femoral artery, liver, or skin of mammals. This novel therapy stops bleeding without the use of pressure, cauterization, vasoconstriction, coagulation, or cross-linked adhesives. The self-assembling solution is nontoxic and nonimmunogenic, and the breakdown products are amino acids, which are tissue building blocks that can be used to repair the site of injury. Here we report the first use of nanotechnology to achieve complete hemostasis in less than 15 seconds, which could fundamentally change how much blood is needed during surgery of the future.

Source: Nanomedicine

Nothing beats grossness like looking at an open wound while two smiling scientist stand proudly at their accomplishment. Ain't that special kiddies?

Seriously, I can see the bulk of this technology being applied to search and rescue operation after a major ecological diaster or terrorist attack

-JnW