In the fall of 2023 Aristeia completed the testing under Phase I of its CRADA with the Naval Medical Research Unit - San Antonio. Since 2020 the pull cord tourniquet has undergone sensor tests of three distinct prototype versions, namely the 4th, 5th and 6th generations. Measurements have been made using the HapMed Leg Tourniquet Trainer (CHI Systems, Fort Washington, PA) along with a Tekscan™ sensor system providing insight into the pressure distribution under the device. The tourniquet succesfully achieved the required 300 mmHg in the trials and changes were made to the design to improve specific areas in the distribution. The 6th generation prototype provides a satisfactory output on measured parameters.

As part of the work under ASTM E54 Tourniquet Task Group the pull cord tourniquet was also tested in an informal setting on the new fixture and achieved the required pressure levels on small and large limb sizes. The company aims to further contribute its device to this effort under the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is funded by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate.

The need for extremity tourniquet devices is still prevalent in Ukraine and the company is determined to provide assistance on this matter. Upon completion of its ongoing validation efforts Aristeia aims to make its device available.

The scientific reports are available upon request.

Aristeia is pleased to announce our collaboration with Semcon Norway, an international technology company at Kongsberg, to finalize the development of its tourniquet. 

The collaboration will enable Aristeia to advance the performance and design of current Gen4 prototype. In particular, the project will address design for manufacturing to reduce the complexity of production and assembly procedure. Semcon has broad experience in life science as well as working with robust transmission systems and mechanical solutions within various industries, such as the energy and mobility sectors, which translates well to Aristeia’s tourniquet technology.  

“This project is a great example of how we at Semcon can provide our experience and expertise to help realise a really good idea that will end up helping a lot of people. And, at the same time we are showing how product development can be done in a more sustainable way”, says Kristina Schnell, project manager at Semcon Norway.   

The prototypes delivered through the collaboration are scheduled for delivery to international test programs and pilot customers. Aristeia is looking forward to continuing its development through Norwegian contractors.  

Read more about Semcon’s offerings in life science.  

The European Patent Office issued patent EP35124 by Aristeia AS on the 5th of May 2021.

The patent covers a mechanical tourniquet for controlling haemorrhage in the extremities. In the related claims Aristeia has described a novel transmission system for achieving rapid pressure build up with the combination of a pull cord and connected gears.

"We see the decision as affirmation that the product represents a differentiation from existing solutions and the company looks forward to further demonstrating this through its upcoming trials" , says CEO Gard Fostad Moe.

We are honoured to be a finalist in this year's Nordic Startup Awards under the category Best HealthTech Startup. The category also features other exciting companies from the Norwegian health technology scene and we suggest checking them out. The award process also includes a public vote so if you want to support us you can do so by voting here:

Link to voting page

Fun fact: The founders of Aristeia and Clex Bio were part of the same group in the university buddy system at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 2009!

The delivery of 12 functional 4th generation tourniquet prototypes marks the conclusion of a collaboration between the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and Aristeia that has existed since 2016, indeed since the founding of the company. The project has been part of the industry support program of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence for Research and Development for the defence sector. The main design work and manufacturing has been undertaken by the advanced prototyping laboratory while the pre-clinical trials have been conducted by the Comprehensive Defence Division, both located at FFI, Kjeller.

Aristeia has benefited greatly from having one of the most experienced prototyping workshops in Norway at its side during the first years of development. Tourniquets operate under high levels of mechanical stress and the build quality is critical. The prototypes delivered will undergo further testing at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and be evaluated by international experts in the tourniquet field.

Furthermore, the project is a good example of government-industry collaboration generating cutting edge technology and research with global ramifications. As tourniquets are increasingly fielded in the civilian pre-hospial setting the project also has the potential of a major positive impact outside the defence sector. Therefore, the project is also a proof of defence technology and knowledge translated to the civilian side.

The pipeline should serve as a proof of concept to other companies and start-ups with a dual focus on defence and medical technology, pulling on the best of both worlds.

The company would like to express its gratitude to the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence for supporting the effort to develop a life saving device.

Following promising results from initial tests in Norway, Aristeia AS has engaged the Naval Medical Research Unit – San Antonio (NAMRU-SA) as an independent test and evaluation agency to further develop its novel emergency tourniquet. The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) will see the tourniquet undergo multiple phases of testing, granting the company access to world-leading expertise and facilities in prehospital medicine.

In 2019 the company visited Fort Sam Houston and was given a tour of the facilities to be used in the upcoming test and evaluation effort. Prior to the visit the company had performed pressure measurements on its second-generation prototype, mimicking NAMRU-SA protocols. The results supported the design’s ability to occlude blood. With the advanced equipment and procedures available at NAMRU-SA, the company has a solid, long-term avenue for real-world evaluation to guide the engineering taking place in Norway. The company expects to make the first delivery in the coming weeks from its batch of fully functional third-generation prototypes.

“Our tourniquet is faster than Wyatt Earp and we look forward to proving it,” says Gard Fostad Moe, CEO of Aristeia AS and inventor of the design. “The research generated from NAMRU-SA has been a guide through the entire development process so I wouldn’t describe this as any less than ideal for us. The common goal in biomedical research is to make it as easy as possible for people to help each other. “I think it’s amazing that the opportunity is there for a small international company like ours to achieve that,” he adds.

With the Mission to “Conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations”, NAMRU-SA is well-suited to test and evaluate a novel device design that has the potential to save the lives of warfighters.
Aristeia has been developing a tourniquet to stop lethal hemorrhage in the extremities since 2016. The design is based on a pull cord mechanism, utilizing a similar movement to that found in outboard engines and lawn mowers to build up pressure. The company has worked closely with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment through its Innovation and Industrial Development and Comprehensive Defence divisions on prototyping and testing. In addition, testing and evaluation has been performed through a collaboration with the Norwegian Armed Forces. To reach these milestones, Aristeia has received backing from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence, Innovation Norway, SIVA and the Research Council of Norway.