New tools to stabilize people after severe trauma
Engineering Technologies for Acute Trauma Care
Lightweight emergency fluids and immune-modulating medicines designed to help people with life-threatening bleeding or shock after serious injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291883 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to create small-volume resuscitation fluids that restore blood flow while keeping the body’s clotting working and to build polymers that calm inflammation and neutralize damaging reactive oxygen species. The team will design and test these materials in the lab and in preclinical models, optimizing them for easy use by first responders outside the hospital. Promising candidates will be prepared for later human testing and for use during the critical "golden hour" after injury. The work focuses on practical, portable options that could be given before reaching surgical care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who suffer severe traumatic injuries with major bleeding or shock, especially those first seen by emergency responders before hospital arrival, would be the likely candidates.
Not a fit: People with minor injuries that do not cause significant bleeding or whose care requires established surgical or medical interventions are unlikely to benefit from these pre-hospital therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these products could lower deaths and complications by stabilizing bleeding patients before they reach the hospital.
How similar studies have performed: Related blood-substitute and anti-inflammatory approaches have shown promise in laboratory and animal studies, but combining low-volume resuscitants with immune-modulating polymers for pre-hospital use is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pun, Suzie H. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Pun, Suzie H.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.