When marine mammals like whales and seals dive deep, they let sections of
their bodies go cold, cutting their metabolic rates dramatically. Darpa hopes
that drugs or tech might allow soldiers to pull off the same trick - the
agency's goal is to enable a rat to survive more than six hours after 60 percent
of its blood has been drained.
Even Darpa managers
admit it's far-fetched. Plan B: minimize bloodshed at the source, including
spurting arteries. The Deep-Bleeder Acoustic Coagulation project aims to build
on the work of researchers at the University of Washington and elsewhere.
They're using concentrated, intense sonic blasts to heat the damaged cells.
"Focused ultrasound allows a noninvasive method of cauterizing" - without fire
or a laser - the scientists say. But these specialized ultrasound machines are
big and bulky – and need an expert hand to guide them. Darpa's looking for a
portable emitter for combat that doesn't need an expert operator.
Walker: "We have another program that is looking at acoustic energy to stop
bleeding -- that is, deep bleeding, not in an extremity, not in some place where
you can apply pressure. It's called Deep Bleeder Acoustic Coagulation. It uses
sound waves to encourage clotting. It's a device that could be used by a
layperson, a medic on the battlefield. It's portable, light and automated."
