DVIDS – News – Army medical developers test technology capabilities during Project Convergence Capstone 4 experiment

U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity team members this month participated in a multinational joint force testing the latest military medical technology as part of the Army Futures Command project's Convergence Capstone 4 exercise, March 20, 2024. , Fort Irwin, California.

USAMMDA participated in PC-C4 to demonstrate the capabilities of the Medical Casualty Prediction Logistics Utilization System (MCPLUS) and Medical Readiness and Performance System (HRAPS) in a real-world joint work environment at the U.S. Army National Training Center.

“PC-C4 is an opportunity for the USAMMDA team to demonstrate our technology at an event that showcases the Army's multi-domain capabilities,” said U.S. Army Col. Andy Noose, USAMMDA commander. “Our advanced development programs are designed to meet the needs of warfighters. Obtaining feedback from future end users and partner organizations during experiments like this one helps inform functional requirements and concepts. , allowing USAMMDA to develop and deliver technology to meet future warfighting needs.”

PC-C4 is hosted by the Army at multiple locations and includes participants from all U.S. military and several invited partner nations. It is designed to test development concepts for integrating Army forces into a framework of integrated full-domain command and control operations to ensure military superiority in future conflicts.

Future military operations in challenging environments will depend on the ability of the U.S. joint force and international partners to integrate medical technology and treatment at every command level. Brandon Coburn, a senior product management support specialist who supervises the MCPLUS team during the exercise, said PC-C4 is a testing ground for materials being developed at USAMMDA.

MCPLUS is a suite of systems designed to enable rapid and responsive medical logistics support for the joint force using data capture, transformation, and treatment analysis from current medical data platforms. Track the use of medical supplies and equipment from the point of injury to treatment at a medical facility. Interoperable Algorithms for Care and Treatment (iACT) provides information to improve patient documentation through machine learning. MCPLUS enables predictive logistics and near real-time medical inventory management. This will be important in future production environments.

“The technology we are using is designed to provide options for both front-line military medical providers and individual commanders at the tactical level,” Coburn said. “Future battlefields will likely have warfighters widely dispersed, with front-line forces located far from extensive logistics and advanced medical facilities. The ability to collect data and feedback from the We will be able to see if we can improve our ability to care.”

Modernization efforts across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps—anticipating future challenges, adapting current capabilities, and developing new strategies—are designed to help the joint force fight in the harsh environments of the Indo-Pacific and Pacific Ocean. Designed to help you win. Earth's Arctic region. USAMMDA remains focused on healthcare modernization, consistent with the broader efforts of the U.S. Department of Defense.

In PC-C4, soldiers acting as casualties used HRAPS to monitor physiological parameters during the medical experiment portion of the exercise. This wearable device is designed to help frontline medical providers and commanders monitor the physiological responses of their personnel to training and combat. Once deployed, HRAPS will provide near real-time data to help leaders recognize serious medical conditions that require immediate treatment before they become serious, such as heat stroke or overexertion. It also helps reduce the risk of non-combat injuries.

“We are developing technologies and treatments that optimize medical triage, enable long-term treatment, and inform a return to combat far beyond the battlefield,” said USAMMDA's Warfighter Readiness and Capability Director. said Lou Jasper of the Brain Health Project Management Office. Oversee the development of HRAPS. “PC-C4 provides a snapshot of where our program currently stands and how we can improve it to ensure it meets the challenges of large-scale combat operations. Masu.

“Our medical capabilities have made great strides during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with improved evacuations providing easier access to medical facilities and aircraft,” Jasper said. “However, in future LSCO environments, such as those found in the Arctic or the archipelagos found in the Indo-Pacific, evacuation will be contested. We need advanced medical solutions that expand combat medics' ability to save lives and quickly return injured soldiers to combat. ”

USAMMDA is a leading developer of novel and enhanced medical technologies across the joint force. USAMMDA collaborates with experts and stakeholders from the Department of Defense, government, academia, and industry to lead the development of new prevention, detection, management, and treatment capabilities and bring commercially available technologies to the needs of military health care providers. We support modernization by adapting.

“At our level of development, we have a clear idea of ​​the joint force requirements,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Hunter Black, USAMMDA Senior Noncommissioned Officer Advisor. “We collaborate with experts from the Department of Defense and across the industry to focus our efforts and maximize our partnerships. But without touchpoints like PC-C4, our team is unable to shape our efforts. These types of events allow us to fine-tune our approach, see the product working in a real environment, and get direct feedback from end users. It’s helpful.”

USAMMDA is the Department of Defense's premier developer of world-class military medical capabilities. Based in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USAMMDA develops, supplies and operates critical medicines, vaccines, biologics, equipment and medical support equipment to protect and sustain the lives of warfighters around the world. .