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.