Combat gauze, an invention developed by the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, was among the top technological innovations celebrated at the Army’s recent “Top Ten Great Inventions of 2008” event held in Crystal City, Va., this fall. The event celebrates the best technological advances in the Army, as recognized by the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Gauze is a common medical device found in first aid kits across the country. But the Army’s version has a few tweaks. It is still inexpensive and lightweight, but it is doused with kaolin, a kind of clay known for the way it catalyzes the body’s clotting process. Ultimately it helps control bleeding and that’s why it made the list.
“It’s a hemostatic dressing, a very simple device, easy to use,” said Dr. Michael Dubick, from the Army Institute of Surgical Research. “The important thing is that unlike other products that have been deployed, this one will stop an arterial hemorrhage. It’s effective.”
Combat gauze is currently being used in both military and civilian communities.
Read more about the Army’s Top Ten Great Inventions of 2008 at Army.mil