DioTeX: Rapid internal hemorrhage diagnostic tool for combat care

Hemorrhagic shock, a condition where the body shuts off critical functions such as breathing and consciousness, is triggered by heavy internal or external bleeding. While external bleeding is easy to diagnose, internal bleeding requires clinical suspicion and subsequent examination. Within hospital settings, these examinations can be confirmed via advanced imaging and the patient can promptly receive live-saving surgical care. However, in combat situations, imaging is impractical, and the early signs of hemorrhage are masked by the body’s stress response to battle. Current methods for hemorrhage detection are inadequate and require highly trained personnel to operate. It has been determined that 90% of preventable U.S. troop deaths and over 50,000 U.S. civilian deaths are associated with hemorrhage.

Our team is developing a portable, reliable, and accessible internal hemorrhage diagnostic tool for these prehospital settings. We are using a hemorrhage-specific biomarker to develop a rapid immunochemistry based test. With just a small blood sample, our tool will be able to quickly identify hemorrhaging patients. During the development of our product, we are constantly reaching out to our mentors and stakeholders who are experienced in military medicine and biochemical assay development. Through mentorship and need validation, we are creating a product that is both technically feasible and desirable for users. By enabling minimally trained personnels to conduct accurate and standardized tests, our product will revolutionize internal hemorrhage diagnostics. We will inform faster and more appropriate hemorrhage care that could save thousands of lives each year.