Remote Frostbite Detector (RFD)
Abstract
Frostbite is a localized freezing cold injury (FCI) that has become increasingly relevant due to the opening of new shipping lanes in the Arctic Ocean and the interest in deploying U.S. military forces to those regions for peacekeeping and national security operations. Such operations require an emphasis on effective cold weather injury prevention strategies, a significant military concern due to the adverse impact of cold weather injuries on operations and the high financial costs of treatment and disability. While several diagnostic technologies have been developed for analyzing frostbite injuries, their primary role has been to help define the precise severity and extent of tissue injury. However, none of these technologies help to detect frostbite onset before it inflicts significant injury, a capability that is necessary to ensure optimal Warfighter readiness and operational status. Vivonics, Inc., a small business with significant expertise in the development of novel wearable and contactless physiological monitoring sensors, proposes to leverage an existing Vivonics optical-based system that can non-invasively and precisely measure hemodynamics, vasoconstriction, and vasodilation in order to detect frostbite early and remotely. We call the system Remote Frostbite Detector (RFD). Vivonics is collaborating with Dr. Ken Zafren (M.D.), a pioneer in the field, who will provide unparalleled expertise in frostbite and FCI physiological implication and early detection, and with Dr. Brent Ruby (Ph.D.), an expert in the effects of environmental stress on physiology, who will collect in vivo lab data for the RFD system. This unparalleled team, supported by Lockheed Martin, is well positioned to fully address the needs expressed in the Environmental Medicine Focus Area by customizing Vivonics sensors and leveraging a functional algorithm previously developed for vasodilation, vasoconstriction, and blood flow assessment at the micro- and macro-vasculature level. The combination of our modified sensors and our algorithms will provide an objective evaluation method to remotely detect frostbite early in real time (5-10 seconds) before substantial damage occurs. Because frostbite injuries can have long-term implications for limb function and mobility, early detection and evaluation are critical to outcome success. The overall objective of this effort is to advance the RFD technology from TRL 4 to TRL 6 by conducting a series of in vitro tests on phantoms mimicking human physiology and in vivo tests on human subjects in a controlled environmental chamber that can simulate cold weather environments similar to those in which RFD is intended for use. These experiments will allow us to refine and finalize our current RFD prototype to better detect the extent of frostbite onset and determine the thresholds necessary to alert the wearer and individuals monitoring remotely. Currently available modalities for analyzing frostbite, such as sensory measurements utilizing invasive needles or non-invasive imaging technologies, are limited to defining the severity and extent of already damaged tissue. The RFD will, in contrast, detect the onset of frostbite, thus allowing a Service Member to avoid frostbite-related injury in the first place. Additionally, imaging technologies used currently (such as radiography, angiography, etc.) are bulky, power-hungry, and require skilled operators to be utilized. The RFD, on the other hand, is a portable, handheld system that can be used in austere environments during training or operations and will provide objective metrics for frostbite detection available directly to Warfighters and remotely to medics and leadership. Widespread adoption of RFD will reduce the need for serious cold-related medical intervention by detecting frostbite before it can cause injury, thus improving Warfighter effectiveness in cold environments, decreasing the burden on the medical system,
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310874
Entities
People
- Michele Pierro
Organizations
- United States Army
- Vivonics (United States)