Attempting to support better healthcare in the battlefield, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has selected BAE Systems for continued development of the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Operations Kit (BATDOK). Traditionally, medical care administered on the battlefield has been recorded only on paper. BATDOK will provide an additional electronic means of capturing a patient’s injuries and field treatments for transfer to medical personnel. BAE will work through the Force Optimization through Rapid-prototyping, Gear Enhancements & Innovative Technology (FORGE-IT) program to enhance remote patient monitoring by combining in-field clinical experience with embedded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in support of medical treatment (see figure).
Nathaniel Wiesner, vice-president and general manager of Ground Systems & Services for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems explained: “At BAE Systems, our goal has always been to protect those who protect us.” Wiesner added: “Through projects like FORGE-IT, we’re augmenting the abilities of our nation’s warfighters to provide critical medical care in high-threat scenarios and ensure that those who are wounded are given effective treatment in the field.”
Data collected by BATDOK and FORGE-IT will be integrated into the DoD’s Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems (JOMIS) care delivery platform, which ensures delivery of comprehensive health services for U.S. Armed Forces patients in deployed and home station medical care facilities. The integration of systems will help clinicians deliver effective care and make certain the injuries of service members are properly documented.
