Cambridge, MA – Amsel Medical Corporation has been granted a $7.45 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United States Air Force to further the development and commercialization of its SCureTO™ device, a temporary vascular occlusion clamp designed for hemorrhage control. This sole-source, non-dilutive contract marks a significant advancement for Amsel Medical, building upon prior successful SBIR contracts with the U.S. Air Force.
The funding will accelerate the availability of SCureTO™, a precision hemorrhage control solution intended for use in combat casualty care trauma. The device is designed to provide a life- and limb-saving capability to the Department of the Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the broader U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), particularly in anticipation of near-peer conflicts.
SCureTO™: A Novel Approach to Hemorrhage Control
Amsel's SCureTO™ device facilitates rapid, minimally invasive, needle-delivered arterial clamping upstream of an injury. This approach offers a solution for both acute and prolonged hemorrhage control in field settings, proving especially beneficial for non-compressible junctional injuries. Emergency responders can modulate the degree of vessel occlusion and distal perfusion, thereby mitigating the potential consequences of prolonged limb ischemia and reperfusion injury, and extending the critical "golden hour" for safe evacuation. The clamp can be removed without requiring additional surgical or interventional procedures.
Hemorrhage resulting from trauma remains a leading preventable cause of death in military settings, accounting for up to 90% of potentially preventable fatalities. In civilian contexts, it stands as the second highest cause of death in trauma patients.
Leadership Insights
James A. Heinz, CEO of Amsel Medical, emphasized the importance of prehospital hemorrhage control, stating, "The military and civilian hemorrhage fatalities occur in the prehospital environment. As a result, there is a critical need for a device that is minimally invasive and deployable in the field to help prevent blood loss and aid in the urgent care of those wounded. For prolonged field care or longer transport, there is a need to 'convert' tourniquets in a timely manner that can help save a limb and reduce amputations." He added, "This is core to Amsel's mission – 'Saving Limbs and Saving Lives' for both those who serve and to serve the broader public's need for improved trauma care."
Colonel (ret) John Dorsch, former surgeon general for the U.S. Air Force's 24th Special Operations Wing, noted, "This initiative will provide a novel solution to control junctional hemorrhage not amenable to application of an external tourniquet. Its ability to rapidly and effectively control non-compressible and junctional hemorrhage non-surgically will be critical in the future operating environment."
About Amsel Medical Corporation
Amsel Medical Corporation, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses on delivering simple and secure precision clamping technologies for vessel and tubular structure occlusion. The company is commercializing a temporary trauma solution (SCureTO™) and a permanent implant (SCureClamp™).
