THE MIL & AERO BLOG – American military researchers are increasing their emphasis on technologies that combine biological and robotic components to enhance the effectiveness and survivability of warfighters on the battlefield.
Two recent projects of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., focus on blending cellular properties with robotics where it has to do with human blood.
The first project is called the Smart Red Blood Cells (Smart-RBC) program, and seeks to create smart red blood cells that enhance human performance under austere military conditions; support quick recovery; and improve the chances of survival during combat.
The other is called the Medics Autonomously Stopping Hemorrhage (MASH) program, which seeks to help battlefield medics who aren't qualified surgeons to stabilize torso bleeding quickly on the battlefield by finding and stopping bleeding autonomously. MASH seeks solutions to stop bleeding for more than hours -- a crucial step to stabilize torso wounds and provide extra time for evacuation to higher levels of care.
Cells and robots
These projects are part of a wider long-term emphasis on the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to combine cells and robotics to enhance the strength of human warfighters to persevere and survive on the battlefield.
Smart-RBC seeks to enable human blood not only to carry oxygen, but also to sense extracellular biomarkers in the bloodstream; decide on the correct response based on these signals; and act by releasing effector molecules that can modify metabolism or other aspects of human physiology.
This capability could lend itself to creating universal blood types, rapid acclimation to high altitudes, thermal regulation, and even on-demand therapeutic delivery for diseases using red blood cells as carriers.
The goal of the Smart Red Blood Cells project hinges on modifying stem cells such that mature red blood cells retain new programmable functions. It aims to engineer red blood cells to contain biological features that can safely, temporarily, and reliably alter human physiology.
Smart blood
Smart blood will be engineered to contain additional biological circuits consisting of three layers: sensing extracellular biomarkers; deciding next steps; and acting by creating effector molecules that can alter metabolism or physiology. This program does not include clinical trials or direct human testing.
It could enhance the ability of warfighters to deal with efficiently like extreme conditions like cold, high altitude, jungle warfare, bullets, shrapnel, airborne poisons, and biological agents, and retain these capabilities for as long as 120 days.
Of interest are engineered red blood cells capable of self-renewal and replication; protection against radiation, biological, or chemical weapons; lead to development of artificial cells or synthetic cells. Companies interested were asked to submit white papers by November.
Stopping bleeding
The MASH program seeks to help battlefield medics who aren't qualified surgeons to stabilize torso bleeding quickly on the battlefield by finding and stopping bleeding autonomously. It focuses on finding and stabilizing abdominal bleeding via external, laparoscopic, endovascular, or hybrid approaches that use machine autonomy, signal processing, existing sensor suites, surgical or endovascular maneuvers, and robotics to find and treat abdominal bleeding on the battlefield. The goal is to treat battlefield abdominal bleeding that can involving hard-to-find internal damage and even mangled internal organs.
MASH has two functional areas: the first that involves existing robotic surgical devices and existing end effectors; and the second that involves software and systems development, sensor selection, sensor data, and system autonomy to detect, localize, and stop abdominal bleeding.
The program's first phase will integrate or retrofit effectors into autonomous devices, provide access to a robotic surgical device for the life of the project, and then incorporate phase-two software and sensors. Companies interested were asked to email [email protected] to join a list for future program updates. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/7b87175548d34dedaaaaae4c07d253be/view.
It's the begging of a new world that takes the best of robotics and biology to extract the best the humans can offer.
